The so-called grandma's allowance was supposed to provide financial relief to professionally active parents, but there are already places where nursery fees will increase. In Koszalin, three times, because, as the city authorities explain, “the budget is not tight.” Although part of the increase will be covered by the government program, parents will still pay more. What does the Ministry of Family have to say about this? Material from the magazine “Polska i Świat.” The entire issue is available on TVN24 GO.
In Koszalin, this is the number one topic. Councillors from the Civic Coalition have raised nursery fees by PLN 1,170.
– This has turned completely upside down and it is an unthinkable situation – says Koszalin councilor from Trzecia Droga Błażej Papiernik.
Pay increases
Until now, a place for a toddler cost 580 PLN plus food 210 PLN, and the state allowance was 400 PLN. In the end, 390 PLN remained to be paid. Now, the nursery will cost 1750 PLN plus food.
Parents can count on support from the government under the Active Parent program, but despite this state cash injection, they will have to pay an additional PLN 70.
– Most local governments in Poland, which are now starting to work on this resolution, have set the fixed fee at PLN 1,500. So that it is 100 percent covered by subsidies from the state budget and the parent would de facto bear only the cost of food, but not in Koszalin – says Błażej Papiernik.
The subsidy for a nursery under the so-called grandma's program is up to PLN 1,500. That is why almost all private facilities, but also some public ones, immediately took advantage of the opportunity and increased fees.
The mayor of Koszalin does not even hide his motivation. – As the treasurer said, this year, this year we are still short of about 20 million zlotys to close the budget – said the mayor of Koszalin, Tomasz Sobieraj, at a press conference.
Ministry intervention
The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has become interested in the case. Deputy Minister Aleksandra Gajewska intervenes with the city president.
– The aim of the program was to release parents from covering the costs of nursery or early childhood care. I have already started a dialogue with the president to convince him that residents should be able to use the benefit to the maximum extent, and not the city,” she said in an interview with Money.
Cost of nursery care
In most public facilities, the cost of a nursery has so far depended on minimum wage. Usually more or less than 20 percent. That was the figure in Łódź, for example.
– The current fees for nurseries paid by parents are PLN 860 per month, which is a fixed fee. This is 20 percent of the minimum wage in the country (PLN 4,300 gross), says the deputy mayor of Łódź, Adam Wieczorek.
In Łódź, they calculate that the monthly cost of a child's stay in a nursery is PLN 2,000. Until now, the city had to pay over PLN 1,100. Now it will feel relief.
– There will be a situation in which parents will cover zero as part of the fixed fee, and the PLN 1,500 that will be paid by Social Insurance Institution to nurseries, will cover all costs. The remaining 500, less than PLN, will be covered directly by the city as part of current expenses – explains Wieczorek.
It's not just Koszalin and Łódź that want more money. Katowice's nursery budget has also been struggling for a long time.
– We decided to take advantage of this opportunity without draining the state treasury completely, because we could actually take PLN 1,500, which is the entire amount that is part of the government program, but we decided to increase this fee to PLN 1,000 – says Sandra Hajduk, spokeswoman for the city office in Katowice.
“Quality should follow this”
– This should be followed by quality, not by increasing tuition fees for the sake of increasing them, where nothing will follow, because then it is truly unethical – says Robert Wilczek, president of the Association of Public and Private Nurseries and Children's Clubs.
– For example, employing specialists, who as we know are not available in nurseries, I mean psychologists, pedagogues or speech therapists. If we raise tuition fees, but as a result employ specialists, great, I am all for it – he adds.
The Active Parent Program will launch on October 1.
Main image source: Kamil Zajaczkowski / Shutterstock