The government focuses on improving the lives of Polish families by continually supporting them through various programmes. Thanks to this, as many as 6.6 million children have received a total of PLN 148 billion in funding under the “Family 500+” programme. As a result, the number of children living in poverty has decreased by 309,000. In 2020, families could also take advantage of the Tourist Voucher programme, with as much as PLN 220 billion being allocated for this purpose. The government also introduced lower VAT rates on baby food, nappies, pacifiers and toddler car seats. Depriving families of custody of their children due to poverty alone has been prohibited as well. Further family-oriented projects will soon be implemented under the Polish Deal, including Family Care Capital, as well as the possibility of purchasing apartments with no own contribution and constructing houses with no formalities.

Family Care Capital to provide a financial boost to families with toddlers

Family Care Capital is yet another family-friendly solution to be introduced. It is one of 10 crucial projects planned to be prepared by the government within just 100 days. “We will be unable to develop without children and youth. Following in the 500+ programme’s footsteps, we are making further efforts to support demographic development”, PM Morawiecki announced.

Funding provided under the programme will supplement the home budgets of families with toddlers, with up to PLN 12,000 provided for the second and each subsequent child. Importantly, parents can use the additional funding flexibly to cover the costs of caring for their babies.

The money available under the programme can be disbursed as follows:

• PLN 1,000 per month for a year,
• PLN 500 per month for two years.

The parents can choose their preferred option. Funding provided under the Family Care Capital programme will not depend on the amount of family income. The programme’s solutions are scheduled to enter into force starting from 1 January 2022.

Home and family – the cornerstone of the Polish Deal

Supporting parents and their children is the primary goal of the Polish government. Introduced in 2016, the “Family 500+” programme was a breakthrough initiative in Poland’s family policy. Now, however, it is time for new solutions proposed as part of the Polish Deal. Apart from the Family Care Capital, the government has prepared several other projects to support Polish families:

• Apartments with no own contribution

Own contribution guaranteed or paid by the state will make it possible to finally resolve the most crucial problem facing both large families and young couples – having one’s own apartment. For families taking a loan, the state will provide up to PLN 100,000 in own contribution; for people living in social housing and large families (depending on family size), up to PLN 160,000 in co-financing will be made available.

In total, about 80,000 families will be able to take advantage of the “Apartment with no own contribution” programme. The programme is targeted at individuals aged from 20 to 40. The amount of funding received will depend on the number of children in the family, with PLN 20,000 provided for the 2nd, PLN 60,000 for the 3rd, and further PLN 20,000 for each subsequent child. To reduce the risk of price increases, a maximum price level per 1 m2 will be set for properties eligible for purchase under the programme.

• Homes up to 70 m2 with no tedious formalities

After the successful introduction of legal changes allowing Poles to erect small summer cabins based on permits alone, it is now time to take the next step towards more citizen-friendly housing. To that end, new regulations governing the construction of small residential homes will soon be prepared as well. Permits, construction managers and construction logbooks will no longer be required when constructing single-family households with a footprint not exceeding 70 m2, with the only requirement being submitting a notification to the relevant authority. This will shorten the construction process by up to several weeks and allow investors to save thousands of złotys.

• Free, universal access to prenatal testing

We will ensure that all pregnant women have access to prenatal testing. The currently available Prenatal Testing Programme is targeted only at women in the risk group. Expanding free diagnostics to all pregnant women will enable the early treatment of children's diseases even before birth.

Yet these are just some of the solutions proposed. We encourage you to see other projects in the area Family and home at the centre of life