Rules of the Pro Familia Self-government competition

The competition is addressed to municipalities from all over Poland. It will be conducted in two stages. In the first stage the competition's jury will verify and evaluate the local governments' applications. The communes may send their applications - a completed Application Form, of which the questionnaire and the Description of the long-term strategy of activities undertaken by the self-government within the framework of the pro-family policy is an integral part - from 21 January to 31 March this year.

The jury - by 7 May at the latest - will select three municipalities from among those which have received the highest number of points in each category.

• Rural Municipality;
• Rural/urban municipality; urban municipality up to 20,000 inhabitants
• Urban municipality with more than 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants;
• Urban municipality with more than 100 thousand inhabitants.

The Jury may also indicate the communes that it would like to distinguish additionally in the competition.

In its second stage the Minister of Family and Social Policy, in agreement with the Government Plenipotentiary for Demographic Policy, will select one commune in each category to be awarded the title of Pro Familia Self-government. Winners will be announced in May this year.

- Pro-family policy implemented by municipalities should be addressed to all families, irrespective of, among others, their material status. Pro-family policy should serve to strengthen the family as well as create a positive image of the family, including marriage and parenthood). We want to honour those communes which best fulfil these tasks and create appropriate conditions for the functioning of all families, as well as for the creation of new ones," says the Minister of Family and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg.

Goals of the Pro Familia Self-government competition

The purpose of the Self-Government Pro Familia competition is:

• promoting pro-family activities within the framework of the tasks carried out by municipal self-governments;
• promoting a positive image of local governments as entities creating optimal conditions for the functioning of families;
• selection of leading communes, whose activities in the field of pro-family policy bring effects in the form of improvement of conditions for functioning of families and can be an example of "good practice".

This is the second edition of the competition, organised by the Ministry of Family and Social Policy. In the first, last year's edition, 236 municipalities applied to participate. The winners were Miejsce Piastowe, Pleszew, Boguszów-Gorce, Otwock and Katowice.

Additionally, three distinctions of the Minister of Family and Social Policy were awarded to Sędziszów Małopolski, Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Gdynia. The jury also awarded distinctions to Kępice and Nysa.

The Orlen Foundation is a partner of the competition.