Care services and facilities

A family-based childcare childminder is a person who, in their own home and for payment, cares for children up to 3 years old or until they reach the age of entry into pre-school education, during the family’s working hours or other periods of unavailability.

The request for authorisation to carry out the activity is made through an application addressed to the relevant service of Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P., the body responsible for issuing the authorisation, in line with the legally established requirements and conditions.

Starting work as a childminder within Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa’s family-based childcare involves signing a service contract between the parties. Those licensed to work as childminders may, if interested, submit an application to the institution’s HR Directorate.

Social response supporting families, providing accompaniment and personalised care services to children aged 3 months to 12 years, at the family’s home, for the period of time matching each family’s specific needs.

Social babysitting and access to the babysitter activity is run from the Dr. José Domingos Barreiro Centro de Acolhimento Infantil (CAI) (tel. +351 218 618 651).

Eligibility conditions:

Children aged between 3 months and 12 years are eligible, according to the following criteria:

• Family resident in the parishes covered;

• Families with difficulties in providing care and support to their children due to lack of family/social support network.

The following situations are given added weight:

• At-risk situation for which social babysitting is one of the most appropriate responses;

• Socio-economic precariousness of the families;

• Attendance at a childhood establishment of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa or the public network;

• Sibling attending social babysitting.

This service is subject to a means-tested contribution defined according to the income bracket and the table in force.

Social response of a socio-educational nature, delivered in an establishment, aimed at supporting the overall development of children aged between 3 and the age of entry into compulsory schooling, through educational activities — with the whole process developed in cooperation with the family.

Eligibility conditions:

• Children at risk or in danger, flagged by Santa Casa’s services, by the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People or by the Court;
• Children in a Care Home or Foster Care of the institution;
• Children with special educational needs;
• Households in a socio-economically precarious situation and/or unable to care for the children during the facility’s opening hours.

The following situations are given added weight:

• Household living or working in the establishment’s catchment area, in line with the regulations in force;
• Children turning 3 between September and December;
• Sibling attending a 1st or 2nd childhood social response at the same establishment;
• Attendance, in the previous year, at a childhood establishment of Misericórdia de Lisboa.

This service is subject to a means-tested contribution defined according to the income bracket and the table in force.

Applications for kindergarten at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa must now be submitted exclusively through the VAGA Vacancy Management Platform, provided by the Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P.

To submit your application, please access the VAGA Platform.

Should you require any additional information or clarification, you may contact SCML services through the usual channels.

Community-based social response, delivered at a facility, aimed at children and young people aged 6 to 18 during out-of-school hours, supporting personal and social development and equipping them for active participation in society.

Eligibility conditions:

• Children and young people at risk or in danger, flagged by Santa Casa’s services, by the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People or by the Court;

• Adolescents and young people with educational tutelary processes (aged 12 to 16);

• Date of registration.

Registrations are processed throughout the calendar year through the Social Reception service or at the establishments where the response is delivered.

These are social responses, socio-educational in nature, run from a dedicated establishment and designed to welcome children up to 36 months of age during the daily period when they are partially away from their family setting, providing continuity with the care given by the family and the conditions for their overall development.

The service is delivered by licensed childminders (in groups of no fewer than four), resident in the same geographical area as the establishment hosting the response.

Eligibility conditions:

Admission of children up to 3 years old is based on available places and the facility’s capacity, with families preferably resident in Misericórdia de Lisboa’s catchment area, according to the following criteria:

• Children at risk or in danger, flagged by Santa Casa’s services, by the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People or by the Court;

• Children with special educational needs;

  Households in a socio-economically precarious situation and/or unable to care for the children during the facility’s opening hours.

The following situations are given added weight:

• Sibling attending a 1st or 2nd childhood social response at the same establishment;

• Household living or working in the establishment’s catchment area, in line with the regulations in force;

• Transfer from another nursery or family-based childcare service of the institution.

These responses are subject to a means-tested contribution defined according to the income bracket and the table in force.

If you live or work in the city of Lisbon and wish to submit an application to a Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa social response supporting children in the first childhood (4 to 24 months), you can complete and submit the form below. We will then contact you to check the conditions and the need for any further information.

Registration form