2026

New National Curriculum for Pre-school Education

12 March 2026

The National Curriculum for Pre-school Education, intended for nursery schools, nursery classes in primary schools and other forms of pre-school education, will come into force on 1 September 2026 for all children attending the above-mentioned institutions.

The new curriculum for pre-school education covers the objectives of pre-school education, the tasks of the pre-school, the child’s achievements by the end of pre-school education, and the conditions and methods of implementation.

It minimises contact with screen-based devices by restricting their use by teachers to strictly educational purposes, with a priority on digital well-being that supports the child’s development.

A new feature is educational experiences that support personal, mental, social and physical development and build a sense of agency in children. These are practical in nature, strengthen fundamental and cross-curricular competences, and develop communication and collaboration skills.

Obligatory care standards for childcare providers as of 1 January 2026

1 January 2026

The Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 13 December 2024 introduces care standards for childcare institutions and entities establishing childcare facilities for children under the age of 3 which must be met in order to be entered in the register of crèches and children’s clubs or in the list of childminders. At the same time, it sets out the mandatory and optional standards to be met when providing care for children under the age of 3.

The care standards take into account the needs of young children, which go beyond the mere need for care and relate in particular to their physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional and social development. Compared to the previous regulation, this represents a completely new approach to the care and education of young children.

The standards for the care of children under the age of 3 have been divided into four areas:

1. working with children, which concerns children’s everyday experiences in nurseries, children’s clubs and with childminders. Central to these experiences are the care conditions created by staff, relating both to the organisation of life within the care setting and to the prevailing atmosphere, as well as the quality of relationships with children based on respect and the observance of their rights;
2. The organisation of work for staff employed in a nursery or children’s club, and the organisation of work for a childminder, which emphasises the professionalisation of care and educational services, as well as staff development, their well-being, the transparency and practicality of procedures, and the appropriate layout of the premises, form the basis for creating a high-quality childcare facility. The improvement of services provided and better interaction between staff and children should result from systematic monitoring and evaluation conducted in an atmosphere of respect and trust;
3. Cooperation between staff employed at a nursery or children’s club and childminders with parents is intended to recognise the crucial role of parents and the family in a child’s life. Staff  create conditions that enable parents to become involved in the life of the childcare facility and provide them with opportunities to improve their parenting skills. Cooperation between staff and parents should be based on mutual respect and openness in sharing information that is important for fostering a consistent environment for each child’s development;
4. monitoring the implementation of the above standards

All childcare providers are required to meet the necessary standards from 1 January 2026. 

The high quality of care provided is emphasised by parents, who would like to be certain that their children attending a nursery, a children’s club or receiving care from a childminder outside of school hours are provided with an education tailored to their age, their condition and the characteristics of the group in which they are placed.

The Regulation includes two annexes:

• a detailed list of essential standards set out in Table 1;

• a detailed list of quality improvement standards set out in Table 2.

In accordance with the Regulation: 

• settings intending to operate a care facility are required first to meet the standards set out in Table 1, and, once they have commenced operations, to also meet the standards set out in Table 2; 

• settings already operating a care facility are required to meet the standards set out in both Table 1 and Table 2.

The standards required for working with children also include working in accordance with a care and education plan. 

The Regulation also requires the monitoring of the implementation of these standards, which is to involve the systematic verification of the extent to which the standards are being met by the body running a crèche or children’s club, the body employing a childminder, and self-employed childminders. 

The Regulation sets out the following standards in Table 1:

• in the area of working with children: 

  • Standard 1: Drawing up a care and education plan that takes into account the rights set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child 

• in the area of staff work: 

  • Standard 2: Defining rules, procedures and programmes concerning the organisation of staff work

• in the area of staff cooperation with parents: 

  • Standard 3: Defining rules and procedures to ensure effective communication with parents, aimed at cooperation in the best interests of the child.

In Table 2:

• in the area of working with children:

  • Standard 4: Respecting children’s rights in the day-to-day work of childcare settings,

  • Standard 5: Staff building safe, respectful relationships with children, 

  • Standard 6: Fostering a sense of belonging and consideration for others in children, 

  • Standard 7: Providing children with opportunities to explore and experience the world around them, 

  • Standard 8: Creating an environment that encourages children to speak, listen and communicate, 

  • Standard 9: Creating an environment that enables the development of children’s physical abilities and engages their senses, 

  • Standard 10: Providing children with opportunities for creative expression and contact with various cultural and artistic work, 

  • Standard 11: Working in accordance with a care and educational plan,

• in the area of staff work:

  • Standard 12: Organisation of staff work that facilitates professional development, based on collaboration, observation and reflection on daily practice, 

  • Standard 13: Staff attention to the health and safety of children, 

  • Standard 14: Arranging the space in an aesthetically pleasing manner consistent with the care and educational plan, 

  • Standard 15: Children’s adaptation tailored to their individual needs, 

• in the area of staff cooperation with parents: 

  • Standard 16: Cooperation between staff and parents based on mutual respect and openness to foster a coherent environment for children’s development, 

  • Standard 17: Creating conditions that enable parents to participate in the life of the care institution, 

  • Standard 18: Creating conditions that enable parents to improve their parenting skills.

2025

Standards of care for young children - information in the nursery register

30 May 2025

From 1 June 2025, it will be possible to provide information on compliance with the standards of care for children under 3 years of age in the register of nurseries and children's clubs and in the list of day carers. Such information may be helpful for parents when choosing a care place for their child.

Providing information on compliance with the standards for the care of children under 3 years of age will be voluntary.

From 1 January 2026, the application of the standards set out in the Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 13 December 2024 on standards of care for children under 3 years of age will be mandatory for all settings providing care for children under 3 years of age.

However, by 28 February 2026, all bodies that started operating childcare institutions for children under 3 years of age before 1 January 2026 must complete the data on care standards specified in the above-mentioned regulation in the system.

The act specifies the necessary standards and quality improvement standards for working with children, organising staff work and staff cooperation with parents, which are aimed at ensuring high-quality care and educational services in childcare institutions for children under 3 years of age.

Active Toddler. More childcare places for children under 3 years of age

15 May 2025

More than 102,000 new places in crèches and children's clubs will be created throughout Poland by 2029 - guaranteed by the Active Toddler programme.

Over the next few years, there will be more than 102,577 new childcare places for children up to the age of three across the country - in nurseries, children's clubs and day care providers. All this is thanks to the Active Toddler programme with a record budget of PLN 6.5 billion.

Funding for the development of the network of toddler care institutions comes from the European Funds for Social Development (FERS) programme, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NERP) and the state budget.

Importantly, the money is not only for the establishment, but also for the operation of the existing care places.

Longer leave and more protection. Nursery carers will work under new rules

13 January 2025

Additional holiday leave depending on the length of service, discounts on train fares and provision of the protection envisaged for public servants - such solutions, among others, are envisaged for carers in crèches and children's clubs in the draft amendment to the Act on which the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy is working.

The draft includes solutions for carers in a crèche, children's club and day carers who are employed by local government units or public institutions.

Among other things, it is proposed to establish the protection of public servants, a 33 per cent discount on reduced rail fares, the introduction of a digital ID card and the introduction of solutions allowing for the substitution of a day-care provider in the event that the latter is on leave or for other reasons unable to care for the children.

The length of annual leave will increase with each year of service. The Ministry also wants to introduce an additional leave of two days for carers after five years of employment, which will increase by two days with every five years of work, until it reaches 10 days.

According to the proposal of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, the director of the crèche will be obliged to release the carer from childcare for eight hours a year or to set any day off (the so-called director's day) so that the careter can take part in training to improve his or her qualifications and competences.

The draft also envisages the introduction of two organisational forms of day-care activities: a self-employed day-care worker and a day-care centre, where care is provided for up to 16 children, at the same time.

Under the proposed changes, up to 8 children will be able to be looked after by a day carer if they are assisted by a parent or other person with the same qualifications as the day carer. Currently, the legislation provides that, as a general rule, up to 5 children can be under the care of a day carer and, if assisted by a parent, up to 8 children.

The draft also provides for an extension of training for carers in a crèche or a children's club and for day carers, so that these persons acquire qualifications related to the quality standards for childcare for children aged up to three years.

The draft also sets out amendments to the regulations on the provision of food in a crèche or children's club and by a day carer. It is proposed that a decree of the Minister of Health should specify the groups of products recommended for consumption by children up to the age of three years, in order to make it easier for childcare institutions to select healthy foods that are free of excess sugar or highly processed products.

The regulation provides for the establishment of 4 April as the ‘Day of the Carer of the Young Child’. In addition, the minister, the head of the province, or local authority will be able to award a special prize or medal to persons providing care in childcare institutions for children up to the age of three.

2024

Standards for the care of children under the age of 3, effective from 1 January 2026.

13 December 2024

In December 2024, the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy signed a regulation on standards of care for children under 3 years of age. The regulation introduces care standards that must be met by institutions providing care for children under 3 years of age in order to be entered in the register of nurseries and children's clubs or in the list of day carers, and specifies the mandatory and optional standards to be met when providing care for children under 3 years of age.

The standards of care take into account the needs of young children, which go beyond the mere need for care and relate in particular to their physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional and social development.

Care standards for children under the age of 3 have been divided into four areas:

1. working with children, which concerns the everyday experiences of children in nurseries, children's clubs and with childminders. Key to these experiences are the conditions of care created by the staff, relating to both the organisation of the care institution and the prevailing atmosphere, as well as the quality of relationships with children based on respect and respect for their rights;
2. the organisation of the work of staff employed in a nursery or children's club and the organisation of the work of a day carer, which determines the professionalism of care and educational services, as well as the development of employees, their well-being, the transparency and usefulness of procedures, and the appropriate arrangement of space, are the basis for creating a high-quality care institution. The improvement of services provided and better interaction between staff and children should result from systematic monitoring and evaluation conducted in an atmosphere of respect and trust;
3. cooperation between staff employed in nurseries or children's clubs and day carers with parents takes into account the decisive role of parents and family in a child's life. The staff creates conditions that enable parents to become involved in the life of the care institution and gives them opportunities to improve their parenting skills. Cooperation between staff and parents should be based on mutual respect and openness in sharing information that is important for shaping a coherent environment for the development of each child;
4. monitoring the implementation of the above standards.

The regulation specifies the detailed scope of the standards. Pursuant to the Act of 4 February 2011 on the care of children under 3 years of age, all care institutions will have to meet the necessary standards from 1 January 2026.

Council of Preschool Heads

30 October 2024

The Minister of Education has established the Council of Preschool Heads, a nationwide forum for initiating and consulting new organisational and legal solutions, including those proposed by the Minister, in the environment of heads of nursery schools and schools, and persons managing other forms of pre-school education.

The Ministry is planning changes to the core curriculum for pre-school education. There is also planned provision for additional funding to support functional assessment of children in 2025.

The Council comprises 16 preschool heads.

The tasks of the Council include, in particular: initiating and giving opinions on changes in preschool education and organising and supporting information and promotion activities in the field of preschool education, in particular in the educational environment.

To participate in the work of the Council, in an advisory capacity, the Minister of Education or the Chairman of the Council may invite persons whose qualifications, knowledge or experience may be useful in the work of the Council.

4th edition of the preschool programme ‘Little Great Explorers’

4 September 2024

Registration for the 4th edition of the ‘Little Great Explorers’ programme for kindergartens, based on the idea of learning through experience (Experiential Learning) will open on 9 September. The event is held under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Education.

The programme, based on the idea of  Experiential Learning aims to arouse curiosity about the world and a passion for science among children through engaging and interactive activities. Preschools that apply to the programme will receive lesson plans, covering a wide variety of interesting topics and inspiring experiences with explanations of the processes explored.

This year's edition introduces three fascinating thematic blocks: trees, water, and units of measurement. Each theme has been developed in cooperation with experienced specialists and methodologists in pre-school education in order to provide the children not only with knowledge, but also with plenty of joy from discovery and experimentation.

The first 600 kindergartens that successfully complete the registration process will receive Learning Packs containing a set of essential materials for the activities. The Pack includes:

- Lesson scenarios adapted to children's age and abilities, full of interesting experiences and activities.

- Teaching materials for experiments and practical tasks.

- Short instructional videos to support teachers in conducting lessons, which demonstrate the performance of selected tasks in an accessible way.

Other establishments will have access to an electronic version of the materials, so that all interested kindergartens can use the programme's resources and join in the scientific adventure.

Active toddler - PLN 60 million for communes for day-care carers of children up to three years of age

16 July 2024

Local authorities with no childcare facility for children under three years of age can apply for funding from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy's new programme ‘First day-care provider in the commune’. The Ministry's aim is to support parents of young children.

At present, 42 per cent of communes (gmina) in Poland do not have any form of institutional care for children under three. That means as many as 1,046 communes where parents cannot use a crèche or other institution to more easily combine work and family life. The new programme aims to quickly solve the problem of inaccessibility to care, especially in smaller communes, with the greatest needs.

Under the First day-care provider in the commune programme, funding is available in two pillars. 

The first pillar allows for a PLN300,000 one-off grant to adapt the facility or facilities where the childcare will be provided. This can be, for example, a flat, but adapted to the needs of young children so as to create space for a day-care provider to undertake his/her tasks.

The second pillar of the programme is a day-care subsidy of up to PLN 8,000 gross for one day-care worker per month.  Thanks to these two pillars of the programme, the commune will be able to first create and then ensure the operation of the new childcare facility.

The total budget for the programme is PLN 60 million in 2024 and the call for applications runs until 30 August.

The Ministry of National Education has joined the programme and 85 educational settings will receive funding to create ECEC places for children under the age of 3.

Active Parent

12 June 2024

On 12 June 2024, the Act on Supporting Parents to Be Active and Raise a Child ‘Active Parent’ was announced in the Official Journal. The Act introduces 3 new benefits for parents raising young children. Call for applications for the new benefits will be open by ZUS from 1 October 2024.

The law introduces three ‘Active parent’ benefits into the legal system, supporting parents in being active at work and in raising their child: 

- the ‘Active parents at work’ benefit

- the ‘Active at nursery’ benefit 

- the ‘Active at home’ benefit

The ‘Active parents at work’ benefit is aimed at economically active parents of a child aged between 12 and 35 months. The Act defines the professional activity, the level/type of which will entitle parents to receive the above-mentioned benefit. The ‘Active parents at work’ benefit equals to PLN 1,500 per month for a period of 24 months from the child's 12th to 35th month. In the case of children with a disability certificate, the benefit will be due in the increased amount of PLN 1,900 per month.

The ‘Actively in a day-care centre’ benefit will replace the currently existing and much less favourable subsidised reduction of the fee for a child's stay in a day-care centre, children's club or day carer, which is set at a maximum of PLN 400 per month, regulated by the Act of 4 February 2011 on the care of children up to the age of 3. The ‘Actively in a nursery’ benefit will be addressed to parents of children attending childcare institutions for children up to the age of 3 - i.e. a nursery, a children's club or a day carer, and will be equal to up to PLN 1,500 per month per child or up to PLN 1,900 per month per disabled child, but no more than the fee the parent pays in the care institution.

The law also introduces an upper limit for nursery fees. In the first period of the Act implementation, the threshold will be PLN 2,200 per month.

The ‘Actively at home’ benefit will replace the previously functioning and less favourable (as it is not granted for the first child), Family care capital. ‘Actively at home’ will be granted for each child in the family between the age of 12 and 35 months and will be paid at the rate of PLN 500 per month for 24 months. This support is aimed at those parents of children aged between 12 and 35 months who will not be eligible or who, of their own free will, choose not to take advantage of the ‘Active parents at work’ or ‘Active at daycare’ benefit, as they remain economically inactive or their child is not attending an ECEC institution.

In addition, the Act introduces amendments to the Act of 4 February 2011 on care for children up to 3 years of age, aimed at increasing the availability of care places and improving the quality of services provided. In addition, it also introduces regulations enabling the minister responsible for family affairs to announce and implement programmes covering additional measures to improve the quality of care in institutions for children up to 3 years of age, to promote and make parents aware of the importance of proper institutional care from the point of view of a young child's development, and to conduct research or evaluation of the solutions introduced in order to improve and develop the child care services.

"Who are you? – A Little Pole” - new programme of the Minister of Education

29 May 2024

"Kto ty jesteś? - Polak mały" is a new programme of the Minister of Education for pre-schoolers. The communication from the Minister of Education on the establishment of the programme will be signed at the beginning of June, and the call for applications will start on 26 June this year and will last until 17 July 2024.

Under the programme, funding will be provided to NGOs to organise cultural activities, competitions, picnics, exhibitions and excursions for preschoolers. Scout organisations, research institutes, cultural institutions and entities carrying out statutory activities in the field of education can apply for funding.

The programme will be divided into thematic modules for the projects:

1. Module 1 -  ‘Explorers of the world’.

a. organisation of workshops and activities to develop creativity in science and natural sciences;

b. creation of a space for experimenting with different fields of knowledge, where children will be able to develop their manual skills;

c. creation of interactive teaching aids and educational materials innovative in form, created for the sake of the STEM idea;

d. organising excursions and educational meetings to places that will broaden children's horizons and awaken their passion for exploring the world.

2 Module 2 - ‘Culture for Nursery School’:

a. organisation of activities dedicated to local culture and traditions and local cultural heritage to develop a sense of local identity and respect for cultural diversity;

b. organisation of artistic, musical, artistic and theatrical activities that will develop children's creativity, imagination and expression;

c. cooperation with local cultural institutions, museums and artists to organise workshops and cultural events for children.

3 Module 3 - ‘Safe Pre-schoolers’:

a. organisation of classes and educational workshops for children on basic safety rules and first aid;

b. Conducting and preparing competitions or exhibitions, presentations on safety in various situations, i.e. in the kindergarten, on the playground, at home or in the immediate surroundings;

c. creating interactive educational teaching aids and materials.

Module 4 - ‘The World in the Nursery School’:

a. the organisation of educational activities on different countries, cultures and customs in order to raise children's awareness of the diversity of the world and to promote the idea of global interaction, understanding and tolerance;

b. organisation of activities devoted to the European Union and its values in order to develop attitudes of openness and intercultural cooperation;

c. organising events to broaden knowledge of the contemporary world, including: competitions, exhibitions, presentations, sports and recreational events, and picnics.

The amount of funds for the implementation of one project within the module:

- ‘Explorers of the world’ - from PLN 20,000 to PLN 500,000

- ‘Culture for kindergarten’ - from PLN 20,000 to PLN 500,000

- ‘Safe Pre-schoolers’ - from PLN 20,000 to PLN 500,000 

- ‘The World in the Kindergarten’ - from PLN 20,000 to PLN 500,000.

Family 800+

1 February 2024

The 'Family 800+' programme is a support for families to partially cover expenses related to raising a child, including childcare and meeting the child's living needs. 

Under the 'Family 800+' programme, families with dependent children are entitled to an upbringing benefit for a child up to the age of 18, regardless of the income earned by the family. 

From 1 January 2024, the amount of the child benefit is PLN 800 per month per child. Before this date the child benefit amounted to PLN 500 per month.  

The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) is responsible for accepting applications for child benefit, processing them and granting and paying out this benefit. 

Applications to the Social Insurance Institution can only be submitted electronically via the Internet, and payment of the awarded benefit is made only in a non-cash form, to the bank account indicated in the application.

As of 1 February 2024, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) started accepting applications to establish the right to child benefit for the new benefit period 2024/2025 lasting from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025.