The City Hall of Angra do Heroísmo, in partnership with the Association AMA – Aldeia da Parentalidade, has presented AMA Angra 2026, a cornerstone initiative designed to support families throughout the full arc of parenthood—from pregnancy and childbirth to the postpartum period and breastfeeding. The program aims to foster children’s healthy development while nurturing a family environment that is safer, better informed, and more confident.

Launched in 2022, AMA Angra has established itself as an innovative and forward-looking municipal response, embedded in the city’s social policy and grounded in a simple conviction: public policy only matters when it tangibly improves people’s lives. By offering free, accessible, and continuous support, the program helps reduce inequality, strengthen social cohesion, and create the conditions for families to choose Angra do Heroísmo as a place to live, grow, and stay.

The results underscore the wisdom of this strategic investment. Since 2022, more than 380 families have been supported across roughly 3,000 individual sessions, while over 340 couples have taken part in childbirth preparation courses. Workshops covering a wide range of topics have drawn more than 700 registrations, reflecting strong and sustained community engagement.

In 2026, AMA Angra will continue to welcome families at different stages of parenthood through individual sessions, intimate parent–child conversations, childbirth preparation courses, infant massage, and workshops on topics such as pediatric first aid, babywearing, complementary feeding, and child nutrition, among other activities. Together, these offerings strengthen a local support network dedicated to families and early childhood.

“Public policies only make sense when they bring concrete improvements to people’s lives, and AMA Angra is a clear example of that vision. We will continue to support families through this program—not only because it is essential to their well-being and to the integration of new family members, but also because it encourages higher birth rates. Our goal is to sustain and consolidate this initiative throughout the current term, reaffirming our commitment to families, to parenthood, and to building a municipality that is more humane, cohesive, and supportive,” emphasized Fátima Amorim, Mayor of Angra do Heroísmo.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.