Poland-27th Session May 2017-Inappropriate content

Para 30) Family policy is one of the main fields of government action. The Act of 11 February 2016 on State Assistance with the Education of Children introduced the child-support allowance (‘Family 500+’ Programme) at PLN 500 monthly, available for the second and later children in a family, from birth to the eighteenth birthday. Since 1 July 2019 the allowance has been based on the premise of universal eligibility and is available for every child in a family, irrespective of the family’s income level. The assistance currently covers 7.04 million children, including half a million children of refugees from Ukraine. The childsupport allowance is not included in the calculation of the family’s income for the purposes of eligibility for family allowances, support fund, welfare benefits, housing allowances or scholarships. Thus, families receiving the child-support allowance do not forfeit their eligibility for assistance through other systems. Para 31) Introduced in 2018, the ‘A Good Start’ programme provides for an annual allowance (PLN 300) for every child in education (from 7 to 20 years of age or 24 years for children with disabilities), which assists families to cover their expenses relating to the beginning of the school year. The allowance is available irrespective of a family’s income level. Para 32) Since 1 January 2022, payments relating to the family care capital have been available; their goal is primarily to cover part of the expenses relating to the care of a second and later child between the 12th and 35th months of age. The family care capital is available at PLN 12 thousand per child and can be paid in the monthly amount of PLN 500 for 24 months or PLN 1000 for 12 months. Para 33) The development of institutions providing care for children of up to 3 years of age is facilitated by the Act of 4 February 2011 on the Care of Children up to 3 Years of Age, and the ‘LITTLE ONE+’ development programme for care institutions for children up to 3 years of age. The relevant capacity in nurseries, children’s clubs and providers of day-care increased from 32 thousand in 2011 to 212.9 thousand in 2021, and the percentage of children up to 3 years of age receiving care increased from 4.4% to 29.2%. Para 34) Since 1 April 2022, the parents of children attending a nursery, children’s club or daycare provider may apply for co-financing for the placement (up to PLN 400 monthly), as long as the family care capital is not being paid for the relevant child. Para 35) The systematic increase of the minimum salary and minimum hourly wage also has a pro-family dimension, similarly to the prohibition of trade on Sundays, introduced in 2018 and enabling families to relax together. Para 77) The Act of 4 November 2016 on ‘Pro-Life’ Support for Pregnant Women and Families provides comprehensive regulation of support for pregnant women and their families, emphasizing women with complicated pregnancies and in situations of obstetric failure, as well as children with diagnosed severe irreversible impairment or incurable life-threatening illness arising during the prenatal development period or during childbirth. Among other things, the support includes: (a) co-ordinated health-care services for the woman during pregnancy, childbirth and recovery (puerperium), emphasizing women with complicated pregnancies and in situations of obstetric failure; (b) one-off PLN 4000 benefit due to the birth of a child with diagnosed severe irreversible impairment or incurable life-threatening illness having arisen during the prenatal development period or during childbirth; (c) co-ordinated health-care services for the child, with emphasis on a child with diagnosed severe irreversible impairment or incurable life-threatening illness having arisen during the prenatal development period or during childbirth; (d) access to co-ordination-caretaking-rehabilitation services; (e) access to advice on family-support solutions. Para 78) The purpose of the ‘In favour of life’ comprehensive family-support programme developed in accordance with the requirements of the Act is to enable the real and full social integration of persons with disabilities, as well as providing psychological, social, functional and economic support for their families. A total of PLN 3.1 billion was allotted to the implementation of the programme in 2017-2021. Para 79) In 2021 a review of ‘In favour of life’ Programme was carried out, as a result of which new actions were added with a view to: (a) providing access to advice on available support options for pregnant women and their families and families with a child with a disability or other person with a disability; (b) assisting young persons with disabilities to enter the workforce; (c) increasing the accessibility of legal assistance, citizen advice and legal education for families bringing up children with disabilities; (d) assistance for students above the primary-school level to prepare for future spousal and parental roles. 80. Expenditure on implementation of the programme in the 2022-2026 period was also increased to PLN 5.96 billion.