Today, a farmer is not only a farmer's wife, but also an entrepreneur and often a leader of innovation in the countryside. And of course my mother too. Unfortunately, a significant limitation for greater entrepreneurship of Polish women farmers is difficult access to nurseries and kindergartens in rural areas. This problem was noticed, among others, by: during the June meeting organized at the French Embassy entitled "Farmers, entrepreneurs, innovation leaders":
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Today, a farmer is not only a farmer's wife
The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy also noticed this problem and found a solution.
PLN 60 million for communes where there is no nursery
– We are meeting the expectations of municipalities and helping to create small, micro day care centers where children will find qualified care and will be able to develop – said Minister Aleksandra Gajewska at a press conference on Thursday.
The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has launched a new program addressed to communes where there is currently no care facility for children under three years of age. They can apply for funding from the "First daily caregiver in the commune" program.
– In 1,046 communes in Poland, parents have no choice. They cannot decide whether their child will or will not go to nursery, because there is no such institution there. And in response to the various needs of these local governments, today we present a new program offered by the Ministry of Family to those municipalities where there is no care facility for small children. This program is called "The first daily caregiver in the commune". The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy will spend PLN 60 million for this purpose this year, said Minister Aleksandra Gajewska at the conference.
Who is a day care provider? This is a person with appropriate education, e.g. pedagogical, who undertakes independent care of small children. Such a person can take care of five to eight children. This form is most similar to family, home-based child care. The place of care may be, for example, an apartment, house, kindergarten or school room. They must be adapted to the needs of small children to make it safe. Especially in small towns and villages where there are not so many small children, this form may work better than a more expensive nursery. Such a place of care can be created in a short time.
Under the "First daily caregiver in the commune" program, financing is available in two pillars. The first pillar allows you to obtain PLN 300,000. PLN one-off subsidy for adapting the facility or facilities where child care will be provided. It can be, for example, an apartment, but it must be adapted to the needs of small children to create space for a day care provider.
The second pillar of the program is co-financing for day care, amounting to PLN 8,000 gross for the functioning of one caregiver per month. Thanks to these two pillars of the program, the commune will be able to first create and then ensure the functioning of a new child care facility.
Under the Program, it is possible to create a maximum of two daily caregivers in a given commune.
The total budget of the program is PLN 60 million in 2024, and the application period lasts until August 30 . Applications can be submitted electronically via the ePUAP platform to the account of the relevant Provincial Office.
The results will be announced by September 13, 2024.
– This program is a response to the needs of local governments that are not yet convinced about these large investments and are examining the needs of residents. This is a program that will allow you to quickly respond to local needs. This is specific aid for local governments, for which local governments can already apply, concluded the conference by Minister Aleksandra Gajewska.
The priority of the Ministry of Family is to enable parents of small children to combine family life and professional activity. That is why the Ministry of Family proposes a comprehensive package of solutions for families: Active Parent, Active Toddler and "The first daily caregiver in the commune" programs. These programs complement each other and constitute a comprehensive response to contemporary challenges related to demography, labor market and care services. According to the ministry, these programs will help hundreds of thousands of Polish mothers and fathers who want to combine professional activity with providing care for their children.
