The state’s family policy involves a range of activities in different areas: from financial support to the development of services dedicated to families, to changes in the Labor Code. And not only that. It was family policy and its constituent programs that were the subject of the Friday’s meeting of Marlena Maląg, the Minister of Family and Social Policy, and Barbara Socha, the Deputy Minister of Family, and Barbara Socha, the Deputy Minister of Family and government representative for the demographic policy, with the media.

The call for applications for the Good Start program is underway

The first half of the summer vacation has already passed and although thoughts of going back to school, studying, and taking examinations are not yet on most children’s minds, it is worthwhile for parents to remember about the Good Start program. The program provides PLN 300 for school supplies for each student.

Applications under the program can be submitted through the Ministry of Family and Social Policy’s Emp@tia portal, the electronic services platform (PUE) of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and the ZUS mobile application, as well as electronic banking. Since July 1, applications have already been submitted for 2.6 million children.

I encourage parents who have not yet done so to apply. I will also add that from the new school year, students in the fourth grades of elementary schools will be equipped with tablets, purchased with funds from the state budget. This is intended to make the education process as modern as possible - said Minister Marlena Maląg.

800+ to be paid from the next year

The 500+ parental benefit, and 800+ from January 1, 2024, is one example of how important family-friendly policies are to our government. It is in our DNA. The Family 500+ program is a dignity revolution that has changed the situation of Polish families - the head of the Ministry of Family emphasized.

The total value of the support for families has already reached 250 billion zlotys.

On Friday, the Senate passed without any corrections an amendment to the bill on state aid for raising children increasing the child-rearing benefit to PLN 800 starting next year. The bill will soon be submitted for signing by President Andrzej Duda.

The minister recalled the information campaign on the changes to the Family 500+ program implemented, among other things, at family picnics. Dedicated buses have also set off to different destinations. The goal of the campaign is to provide reliable information to parents and caregivers.

Bridging pensions

The Minister of Family and Social Policy also announced that the Sejm has considered the Senate’s corrections to the amendments to the act on bridging pensions. The act will be submitted for signature by President Andrzej Duda.

Bridging pensions will also be granted to those who have not worked for the required period of time in special conditions before January 1, 1999.

As Minister Maląg explained, as part of the amendment to the act on bridging pensions, the expiring nature of these benefits is repealed. There are also provisions intended to strengthen the legal protection for members of trade unions, but also pregnant women, among others.

The call for applications for the Toddler+ program is underway

Deputy Minister of Family Barbara Socha appealed to local government officials in municipalities and communes where there are no nurseries to submit their applications in the new edition of the Toddler+ program. The call for application is underway, with the first round ending at the end of the summer vacation.

We are committed to ensuring that the ‘blank spots’ -municipalities and communes without nurseries - disappear as soon as possible. Hence the record-breaking edition of the Toddler+ program with a budget of PLN 5.5 billion. There are still several hundred million zlotys left to distribute - said the Deputy Minister of Family.

As she added, every commune and municipality in Poland has received information under the new edition of the Toddler+ program regarding proposals for the distribution of the funds. The proposed amounts are not final, and the communes and municipalities may apply for more funds.

We want to help communes and municipalities that do not yet have nurseries. By way of example, the Capital City of Warsaw has received almost a quarter of a billion zlotys under the new edition of the Toddler+ program - pointed out Deputy Minister Socha.