Won’t the raise make up for grandma’s?
Gajewska came to Koszalin (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) on Thursday to talk to the city’s mayor, Tomasz Sobieraj, about the situation with the city’s daycare centers and the Active Parents program, which starts in October. On Monday, the Koszalin City Council, with the votes of the Civic Coalition councilors, decided to increase daycare fees. Parents, despite receiving the “actively in daycare” benefit of PLN 1,500 from the ZUS, would have to pay an additional PLN 250 out of their own pocket at the fixed rate from October 1.
However, this will not happen, because Sobieraj, at a joint press conference with Deputy Minister Gajewska, stated that he would submit a new draft resolution to the City Council. According to the draft, the flat fee will be set at PLN 1,500 and will be fully covered by the benefit “actively in kindergarten”. The maximum daily nutritional fee will remain unchanged. It will be PLN 15, but parents will continue to pay PLN 10, at least until the end of the year. The Mayor of Koszalin, Artur Wezgraj, promised to convene a session as soon as possible, if there are no holiday conflicts, in August.
“We created the Active Parents program so that parents of young children do not have to worry about how to organize care because they cannot afford it,” said the deputy minister for family, labor and social policy in Koszalin.
She stressed that “Koszalin will be among the cities that will decide not to pay for care. So it will support the elimination of the financial barrier and I am very grateful. Because you need to understand the needs of parents and young children, to make such a decision, you need to be a responsible local government official to understand this as an investment and not as a cost,” she added.
“That was our conversation. I am very happy that it has a good ending, especially for the youngest residents of Koszalin and their parents,” Gajewska said.
The deputy minister said she was aware that Koszalin is in a difficult financial situation and that the president intends to obtain funds for renovations and equipment for kindergartens to provide childcare in the best possible conditions. “This is our common challenge,” stressed Gajewska, who visited one of Koszalin’s kindergartens before the conference.
The official said that work is currently underway on projects that “the government will present next year”, because local governments need specific support. “This support will also go to the local government of Koszalin”, Gajewska assured. She also recalled that from July, those working in daycare centres can count on a bonus of PLN 1,000 in their salary, and training to improve the quality of care provided in daycare centres will also be co-financed.
President Sobieraj, who explained the need to share the costs of daycare with parents as a “budgetary hole”, admitted that he was persuaded to give up this intention by the arguments of Deputy Minister Gajewska. “One thing was probably fundamental and it was not financial,” he admitted, pointing to the need for socialization of children for their best development and preparation for life in society.
The press conference was attended by parents of children at the daycare. “I am happy that the city is backing down on the increase, but the deputy minister deserves it. I am a great advantage for her, a great disadvantage for the city authorities and a great disadvantage for the councillors,” one of the mothers whose children attend the city’s daycare told PAP.
The Koszalin Municipal Nursery School has seven departments with 540 places for children.
What is the active program for parents or grandparents?
The recruitment process for the Active Parents program will begin on October 1st. It provides three benefits for parents of children aged 12 to 35 months. The same child will be entitled to only one of the benefits per month.
The so-called grandparent allowance, i.e. the allowance for “active working parents”, will amount to PLN 1,500 per month for two years – from the 12th to the 35th month of the child’s life. Parents and guardians of children with disabilities will receive more support – PLN 1,900 per month. Parents will be able to decide what to spend the money on.
The second benefit – “actively in daycare” – is intended to replace the current allowance of up to PLN 400 for children staying in childcare facilities up to the age of three. The benefit will be provided to parents of children attending daycare, a children’s club or a nursery. The support will amount to PLN 1,500 per month per child or PLN 1,900 per month for a disabled child.
The third benefit – “actively at home” – will be available under the same conditions as the current family assistance capital. A new feature will be the possibility of obtaining money for each child – including the first and only child – from 12 to 35 months. The benefit will be PLN 500 per month for two years.
In this case, parents must decide whether to maintain the so-called acquired rights to family assistance capital, which is paid from the second child onwards, if they want to enjoy the benefit “actively at home”. (PAP)
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