Parents in the world: Poland
Here we are again at our rendez-vous to tell the stories of parents living in the world. We have been to the UK, then flew to the Philippines and Mauritius, arriving in Ireland until our stop over in Vietnam the last time. Today we go to Poland with Krzysztof.
Krzystof – physiotherapist and dad of two children – tells us how to be a parent in Poland. He’s got a modern family with his wife Natalia, a dentist by profession, living in a town called Kalisz, a hundred and fifty kilometers from Poznan.
The town provides recreational spaces for children and organizes various events for families. What our young dad would like to see are spaces for younger children, having himself children aged 4 and 2 years old.
Parenting is not easy in Poland, says Krzysztof. But it improves from year to year. Mums can go on maternity leave up to a year and can receive social assistance through a program called 500+.
The beneficiaries of the program receive 500 PLN per month (approx € 113) for every child born into a family that earns less than 800 PLN, and for every second child of any household income. Single mums can also receive this benefit. Through 500+ program it is estimated an increase of 1.7 million people by 2050.
As for employment, people in the public sector are employed with rights, whilst those working in private are less protected, considering a very low fair wage in both cases, says Krzysztof.
Regarding health care, it seems that the story of endless queues in hospitals also happens in Poland. 🙂
The school has a good level in Poland. It is a country where children are clever and achieve good results. But Krzysztof believes it is necessary to do more from the government in order to draw out the excellence of Poland.