A balance between family life and work is a challenge for the government

The role of a responsible government is to support families at every stage of their development.

Parenting is a wonderful adventure, incomparable to any other experience. But it is also a huge challenge and a great responsibility. Responsibility for ensuring the safety and upbringing of the child. A wise social and family policy involves support for families at every stage: birth, care for the newborn, access to education, and healthcare. This is supplemented by the support for parents in combining family life with work.

Family 800+ starting next year

An important part of the state’s family policy is financial support. We started with the Family 500+ program, introduced in April 2016, which changed the perception of social policy in Poland by showing that an investment in the family is possible and that it is more than social support, but rather a universal investment in our children’s future. The beneficiaries of the program have received approx. 250 billion zlotys. Starting next year, the child-rearing benefit paid as part of the program will increase to 800 zlotys.

Other programs include the Good Start program, or 300 zlotys for school supplies for each student, as well as the Family Care Capital program and nursery care subsidies. These benefits make it easier to cover the cost of caring for the youngest children. This issue is particularly important for parents.

Care that is even more accessible

Another important issue is access to nursery care itself. It is very important to our government to make sure that the number of places in nurseries and day care centers increase year after year – and this is happening. Over the past eight years, the number of child care places for children under the age of 3 nationwide has nearly tripled from 84,000 in 2015 to 232,000 in 2023.

In 2023, thanks to EU funding, we increased the program’s budget to PLN 5.5 billion, which is expected to create more than 102,000 new care places for the youngest children.

Parents in the labor market

We are committed to ensuring that families in Poland live in safety and that parents can realize their professional potential: that women do not fear that motherhood will push them out of the labor market. The role of the state is to support parents in this regard.