Support for children and families

Poznań City Hall’s archive

In 2017, 250.5 thousand family benefits with allowances were paid.

Benefits for families

Families with low incomes, specified in the provisions of law, can apply for various forms of support. Distribution of benefits for the family in the field of social security (family, maintenance and child benefits) is provided by the Poznań Benefits Centre (PCŚ).

In 2017, activity of the Centre was promoted through the information Benefits Campaign 2017, which involved the organisation of Open Doors in the PCŚ, mailing campaign and participation of representatives of the Centre in events organised for the family in Poznań. Easier access to the institution is also ensured by the functioning of the confirmation point of the ePUAP trusted profile, which aims to enable clients to settle matters without having to visit the office. In 2017, the PCŚ became a signatory to the Diversity Charter (a document obliging to oppose forms of discrimination in the workplace).

The benefits paid out by the PCŚ in the largest number in 2017 included:

• family benefits with allowances – 250.5 thousand,
• care benefits – 90.5 thousand,
• child benefit – 49.8 thousand.

Other benefits paid out by the Centre were:

• increased allowances for raising a child in a family with many children – 24 thousand,
• one-time allowance for the birth of a child – 3.6 thousand,
• allowance for the carer – 1.3 thousand.

A new form of support for parents of terminally ill children is the “For Life” benefit. 67 families benefited from this type of assistance in 2017.
In addition to family and child benefits, the PCŚ also paid maintenance benefits for 1.9 thousand people and supported 2.5 thousand pupils from Poznań through the payment of school scholarship and school allowance.

Other activities included:

• participation in the governmental operational programme “2014-2020 Food Assistance;” in 2017, food assistance and participation in accompanying activities was provided for 1,672 people from the poorest families,
• the project implemented by the Child at the Centre Foundation as part of the Aquanet’s “Water Supply Fund,” which partly covers the costs of water and sewage fees; in 2017, 1,535 people benefited from such assistance,
• legal counselling provided by the MOPR, which was used by 2,198 people,
• mediation conducted by employees of the MOPR and other specialists, which were used by 18 communities; two cases ended in a settlement,
• the project “Volunteering with the MOPR in Families of Poznań,” whose aim was to level the playing field of education for children and young people from low-income families, and to combat social isolation and loneliness of people with disabilities, seniors and children in a difficult life situation; 14 people, to whom 11 volunteers were referred, benefited from the assistance consisting in the organisation of free time for seniors, people with disabilities and children and young people, as well as providing private lessons.

“Family Support and Foster Care Development Programme for 2017-2019”

The objective of the “Family Support and Foster Care Development Programme for 2017-2019” is to provide foster care to every child in a crisis situation. The programme provides psychological, pedagogical and legal support, including specialist support, to foster families through the activities of the Foster Family Club in the “Swoboda” Family Support Centre, and supports the functioning of institutional foster care, including activities of care and educational facilities.

Beside the “Swoboda” Family Support Centre, the function of foster care organiser in Poznań is performed by the MOPR. In 2017, the MOPR employed 26 coordinators of family foster care, who supported foster families in carrying out their tasks in the area of child care, cooperation with schools, kindergartens and other institutions, provided assistance to foster-children of age in acquiring social skills, dealing with official matters, raising professional qualifications, and handling difficult or conflict situations.

In 2017 in Poznań, 488 foster families (including 306 relative foster families), in which 698 children were raised and received benefits, were taking care of children under foster care. 576 children received benefits under the 500+ child allowance.

In 2017, the City of Poznań was running:

• the programme promoting foster parenthood “Volunteering for Foster Families,” as part of which meetings with specialists and representatives of institutions acting for families for people who want to become volunteers were organised; persons assisting 34 foster families were covered by support,
• a campaign promoting foster parenthood “We Have Jobs for Mom and Dad,”
• the project “Improving access to social services supporting family and family foster care in the area of the Municipal Functional Space of Poznań,” co-financed by the European Union, was aimed at providing assistance, among others, to 385 biological families and 70 foster families at risk of poverty and social exclusion; a family assistant, a foster care coordinator and people assisting in care for children and farm work in professional foster families were employed in the programme.

In May 2017, the “Picnic with Foster Family” Festival was also held.

In 2017, 113 children ceased to be foster children from foster families of Poznań for the following reasons:

• attaining the age of majority – 24.7%,
• adoption – 23%,
• return to the natural family – 16.8%,
• placement in institutional foster care – 14.1%,
• other reason – 21.2%.

In 2017, adult wards of foster care were provided with assistance in the amount of almost PLN 1.3 million, including monthly assistance for continuing education for 236 people, payment of assistance for becoming independent for 40 people and aid for settlement for 53 people.

Number of one-time benefits to cover the necessary costs related to the needs of the adopted child – 83.
Number of professional foster families whose cost of maintaining a flat in a multi-family building or in a multi-family house was covered – 11.
Number of children to whom a benefit related to the occurrence of fortuitous events was paid – 66.
Number of children who received funding for holidays outside their place of residence – 138.

Family benefits in Poznań

Source: Polish Central Statistical Office

Family benefits in the largest cities in Poland (2016)

Source: Polish Central Statistical Office