A press briefing on the protection and support of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic took place at the Ministry of Family and Social Policy on Wednesday. - Senior citizens are the foundation of families, and just like the foundations of a solid home, they require special care - said Marlena Maląg, Minister of Family and Social Policy.

Each area of our lives had to undergo drastic change because of the coronavirus pandemic. The changes have also affected social welfare homes - places for people who require 24-hour care. Social welfare homes have implemented good practices during the pandemic in order to help the persons who are the most susceptible to the coronavirus due to their age, illness or disability.

The current Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy changes its name and scope of competence. President Andrzej Duda, at the request of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, appointed Marlena Maląg the Minister of Family and Social Policy.

The coronavirus pandemic has left its mark on our lives. Everyone had to adapt to the new reality, including us and our immediate surroundings. That rings particularly true for seniors, i.e. people at the highest risk of coronavirus infection. That is why “Senior+” houses and clubs have introduced good practices in their facilities in order to help their inhabitants and their employers to survive this difficult period.

Every second Polish zloty under the care allowance is granted to children from rural and rural-municipal communities. The Family 500+ Programme is one of numerous social programmes in support of the residents of rural areas.

We will continue all the government's programmes for seniors – announced Marlena Maląg, the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, during her meeting with senior citizens held on Thursday. The meeting was held as part of the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons.

The International Day of Older Persons held on 1 October is an opportunity to congratulate and to extend our gratitude, but also to remind of the importance and the necessity for a wise senior policy. – A policy which focuses on the people and their well-being. This includes a number of activities contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of the elderly in Poland - says Marlena Maląg, Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

In August, the unemployment rate in Poland reached 3.1% vs. 3.2% in the previous month, as shown by the latest data published by Eurostat. The unemployment rate in our country remains at the same level as in the same period last year and still remains below the EU average.

Nearly two thirds of Polish citizens positively assess the current situation on the labour market in Poland, while nearly two thirds declare having a sense of employment security in their current workplace, according to the CBOS survey.

Preparation of a plan for establishing a nursery, organising childcare or financing the functioning of institutions - these are some of the examples of training courses related to the care for children up to 3 years old in projects selected for funding in the competition announced by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. Over PLN 14 million from the European Social Fund and the state budget was allocated to the competition.