“Toddler+” is a programme supporting the establishment of new places providing help to the youngest children and financing activities of those already existing. This is an enormous help for parents, especially new moms, who would want to return to work after the maternity leave, yet, it is impossible due to the lack of places providing care for the youngest.

Nursery schools and children clubs needed

In 2015, in the whole country there were almost 3 thousand of establishments catering for 84 thousand of the youngest. Until 2018 the number of establishments is to increase to 5.2 thousand, the number of places for the youngest children – up to almost 143 thousand. This is by 2.2 thousand establishments and almost 59 thousand of places more. In the three years the indicator of nursery schools will increase by over 56% - from 12.4% to 19.4%. What is interesting, from among all municipalities, in areas where such places are being created within this year’s programme edition, as many as 79%, that is, 356 municipalities are small municipalities with no more than 40 thousand of inhabitants. In 2018, PLN 450 million was allocated to the “Toddler+” programme.

In 2019, just as in the previous year, PLN 450 million is to be allocated to “Toddler+”. However, as of the new year changes are coming. In “Toddler+” 2019 edition, local governments of areas where there are no nursery schools and clubs for children of up to 3 years old, will be able to count on much higher funding than so far – PLN 30 thousand (today: PLN 20 thousand). Higher financing will be also given to local governments that already conduct such institutions – PLN 22 thousand (today: PLN 20 thousand) to establish new places.

New apartments, new nursery schools

Funding for the purposes of establishing places providing care in 1a and 1b modules can be applied for by municipality, which conducts housing investments within the “Flat+” programme. Funds from the “TODDLER+” programme can support establishing institutions providing care for children of up to 3 years old in the area of investments implemented within the “Apartment+” programme.

Solution  

In the next year’s edition of the “Toddler+” programme an order in granting funds has been introduced in case the demand is higher than available resources. In the first place, funds will be allocated to establishing new places by local government units and functioning of municipal places established with funds from previous editions of the “Toddler+” programme.

Schedule

The call for proposals to the “Toddler+” 2019 edition started on 28 November and will last 4 weeks. Then, Voivodes will be obliged to assess the proposals and forward them to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy within 4 weeks. Within another 5 weeks the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy will announce the results of the competition, i.e. until 28 February 2019.