The JU service offers information on family-related issues including childcare, schooling, financial support for parents and local community resources.
Children under three years of age may attend a day nursery (żłobek). In Poland there are publicly-funded and private nurseries. Both may charge you a fee, but their rates differ substantially: public units may only charge for food/catering, and in the private ones you may have to pay also for the care, maintenance, equipment, etc. Prices in public nurseries are defined by the local authorities.
A child aged three to five may attend a nursery school/kindergarten (przedszkole), which is not compulsory and the decision remains at the child's parents’ discretion. Similarly, kindergartens can be run by the state or private organisations/individuals. Some private units offer activities in languages other than Polish.
For children and young people between 7 and 18 years of age education is compulsory in Poland. This rule also applies to foreign children, irrespectively of their own or their parents’ status. Detailed information on Polish education system on both primary and secondary level can be found on the Euraxess website.
Jagiellonian University nursery “Żaczuś”
The “Żaczuś” nursery was created to provide safe conditions and childcare for the youngest children of students, PhD students and employees of the Jagiellonian University. It admits children from 6 months to 3 years of age.
Scientific kindergarten – JCI kindergarten
The JCI Kindergarten is a project of the Jagiellonian Centre of Innovation, ensuring children’s comprehensive and harmonious development. It is located in the Life Science Park (ul. Bobrzyńskiego 14, 30-348 Kraków), adjacent to the Jagiellonian University Campus. The overall aim of the initiative was to cater for the needs of parents employed at the Jagiellonian University and within the Life Science Park and to provide complementary support to academic employees, hence the inclusion of the JCI Kindergarten as a part of the initial project to extend the Life Science Park.
The JCI Kindergarten recruits children throughout the year, based on the availability of places.
If you are insured within the Polish public healthcare system (National Health Fund – NFZ) all the medical services provided by public hospitals and clinics are free-of-charge. Therefore, having found out that you are expecting a baby, you should register at a chosen hospital or clinic to remain under medical control from the earliest weeks of pregnancy.
The medical services include regular check-ups carried out by a gynaecologist (usually once a month), blood tests, USG scans, etc., whatever is prescribed by your doctor, the labour and post-labour care including. The post-labour care means the necessary 2–3-day stay at the hospital, several check-ups of the new-born baby as well as home visits of a midwife to which women are entitled within 8 weeks after the labour (having registered the baby at a chosen medical centre).
Therefore, after the baby is born (or even earlier) it is recommended to register the newborn at a chosen medical facility in order to receive further healthcare services, including all the vaccines that are obligatory in line with the Polish healthcare system.
For detailed information regarding legal status of your baby as well as your rights at work and social benefits related to becoming a parent please visit the Euraxess website.
Jagiellonian University employees are entitled to various forms of financial support related to parenthood, including:
– summer holiday allowance for a child (paid out in September);
– subsidy for a Christmas present for children (paid out in December);
– subsidies for winter trips and camps for children.
Jagiellonian University staff are also entitled to nursery and kindergarten subsidies, as well as to funds for other forms of pre-school education, including services of a nanny or a caregiver.
For detailed information on the above-mentioned forms of subsidies please visit the JU Office of Welfare and Social Benefits (27 Straszewskiego Street).