Alicante launches "childbirth" program for 2026 with goal of doubling number of beneficiaries

The city is resuming the process after increasing the total budget to 200,000 euros, offering a one-time support of 300 euros. Priority will be given to applications submitted in 2025, which could not be implemented due to the exhaustion of funds at the time.

Alicante has officially approved the second edition of the call for applications for birth and adoption assistance (commonly known as "cheque bebé") for 2026. The initiative aims to boost the city's birth rate. The total pool of funds for this line of support has been doubled compared to 2025 - the budget has been increased to €200,000, allowing for a payment of €300 per approved application.

Resolving the backlog of 2025 applications

The increased pool of 200,000 euros is intended to cover not only births and adoptions that will take place in 2026, but also those applications submitted in 2025 for which there was a shortage of funding. The city aims to double the number of grants compared to the previous edition.

In the previous call for applications, 332 aid payments were granted out of 913 applications registered by early December. From this pool:

• 42 applications were rejected for failure to meet requirements.
• 59 applications were considered withdrawn for failure to provide the required documentation by the deadline.
• 480 applications remained unanswered due to lack of funds. These are the ones that will be prioritized in the current edition.

Additional support: "Housing voucher" for young people

Work is also underway to prepare rules for a similar form of assistance aimed at young people - a so-called "housing voucher" (cheque vivienda) to facilitate independence. The budget for this program is also expected to double, rising from 120,000 euros to 240,000 euros in 2026. This program consists of subsidized rental housing for people between the ages of 18 and 35, registered in Alicante, who can receive up to €3,000 in support.

Who can apply for birth and adoption support?

The main goal of the program is to support families and encourage having children. Married couples, informal couples and single-parent families can apply for assistance for births and adoptions that will take place in 2026.

Terms and rules:

• The time to apply is three months from the day after the birth or adoption.
• If the birth or adoption took place in 2026, but before the date of publication of the recruitment notice, the three-month period will be calculated from the date of that publication.
• Pending 2025 applications will be processed as a priority in the new intake, without resubmission of documents.

Requirements

Aid will be granted on a strict first-come, first-served basis, only after the following conditions are met:

• Possession of Spanish citizenship or status as a foreigner legally residing in Spain.
• Turning 18 years of age or having the status of a legally independent minor.
• Registered in Alicante (empadronamiento), with at least one of the applicants having a documented, uninterrupted four-year registration period.
• The newborn must be registered in Alicante for the first time, at the beneficiary's address.
• Ownership of a bank account.
• No arrears of tax liabilities to the Spanish Tax Authority (AEAT), Alicante City Hall and the Social Security Administration (Seguridad Social).

How to make an application?

The application process will begin after the official announcement is published in the Official Provincial Bulletin (BOP). Applications should be submitted to:

1. Preferentially electronically through Alicante's e-office platform (sedeelectrónica.alicante.es), in a specially designed tab: "Solicitud de ayudas por nacimiento o adopción 2026".
2. Personally at any Service and Citizen Information Office (SAIC) in the municipality of Alicante.
3. Through other methods provided for in Article 16 of Spanish Law 39/2015 on General Administrative Procedure.