Program 800+/Active Parent/Good Start

Do you have small children? Take advantage of the benefits of the Active Parent program

The program supports parents and caregivers of children from 12 to 35 months old (up to 4 years old in the case of daycare) in balancing work and child care. Parents choose one of three support options.

1. Active parents at work (so-called “Grandmother's support”)

Benefits for working parents who organize care for their child themselves (e.g., hiring a nanny or involving grandparents).

Amount: 1500 PLN per month (or 1900 PLN if the child has a disability certificate).
Condition: Both parents (or a single parent) must be professionally active. The sum of the base contributions must amount to at least 100% of the minimum wage.
For whom: Children aged 12 to 35 months who do not attend daycare/kindergarten.

2. Actively in daycare

Subsidy for care costs in institutions (daycare, children's club, daily caregiver). The benefit is paid directly to the institution's account.

Amount: Up to 1500 PLN per month (up to 1900 PLN for a child with a disability), but not more than the actual payment for stay.
Fee limit (Important!): The benefit is granted if the monthly fee for daycare (without meals) does not exceed 2200 PLN (limit applicable until March 31, 2026).
For whom: Children attending registered institutions.

3. Actively at home

Support for parents who personally care for their child at home. It has replaced the previous Family Care Capital (RKO).

Amount: 500 PLN per month for each child.
Condition: The benefit is granted from 12 to 35 months of the child's life.
Note: The total amount of payments from RKO and 'Actively at Home' cannot exceed 12,000 PLN for the same child.

Feature	Details
Income criterion	None – benefits are granted regardless of income.
Taxation	Benefits are tax-free and not subject to enforcement.
Combining benefits	In a given month, only one of the above benefits can be collected for the same child. However, it is possible to change options during the program's duration.
Relation to 800+	The Active Parent program is independent of 800+ – both benefits can be collected simultaneously.

How and when to apply?

Applications for benefits are accepted exclusively electronically by ZUS. You can use the following channels:

PUE/eZUS platform or mZUS mobile application.
Emp@tia portal (empatia.mpips.gov.pl).
Electronic banking (most banks in Poland offer this function in the 'e-Government' or 'Benefits' tab).

Good Start Program – support for all students starting the school year

Since July 1, 2025, ZUS has begun accepting applications for the determination of the right to the Good Start benefit in connection with the beginning of the school year 2025/2026.

Key changes and deadlines (2025/2026)

Start of recruitment: Applications for the benefit for the school year 2025/2026 can be submitted from July 1, 2025
End of recruitment: The deadline expires November 30, 2025. After this date, the application can only be submitted if the student over 20 years old obtains a disability certificate after November.
When will the payment be made?
- Applications submitted in July or August – payment will be made by September 30 at the latest.
- Applications submitted from September to November – payment within 2 months from the date of application.

Who is eligible for support?

The benefit of 300 PLN is granted once a year for each child enrolled in school, regardless of the family's income, until the child reaches:

20 years of age;
24 years of age – in the case of students with a disability certificate.

Important exclusions:

The benefit does not apply to children in kindergartens and in so-called "zero classes" (one-year preschool preparation).
The program does not cover students.

Who can submit the application?

The application can be submitted by:

Mother, father, actual caregiver, or legal guardian of the child.
Foster parents, people running family children's homes, or directors of care and education facilities (applications submitted exclusively through the eZUS/PUE ZUS portal).
Student – an adult student who is not dependent on the parents (because they have passed away or have been awarded alimony).
In the case of joint custody (according to a court ruling), the amount of 300 PLN is divided in half (150 PLN for each parent).

How and where to submit the application?

Applications are accepted exclusively electronically. You can do this through:

mZUS mobile application (the fastest method).
Electronic Services Platform (eZUS / PUE ZUS).
Information and service portal Emp@tia (https://empatia.mpips.gov.pl/).
Electronic banking (most Polish banks provide a special form in the e-Government tab).

What is needed for the application?

PESEL number (for you and your child).
Name and address of the school the child will attend from September.
Bank account number (payments are made exclusively cashless).
Email address and phone number.

Remember: All information about the status of the application and any requests for additional information are sent by ZUS to your profile in the eZUS/PUE ZUS system.

Rules for submitting applications for the 800+ childcare benefit for the period 2026/2027

From February 1, 2026, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) began accepting applications for the determination of the right to childcare benefit for the new benefit period, which will last from June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027.

Key information:

Start of recruitment: February 1, 2026.
Form of submission of applications: Exclusively electronically.
Where to submit the application:
- PUE/eZUS portal or mZUS mobile application.
- Portal of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy: Emp@tia.
- Electronic banking.

The childcare benefit is granted for a child until the age of 18:

to the mother or father;
to the actual caregiver of the child (i.e., a person who actually cares for the child who has applied to the family court for the adoption of the child)

– if the child lives together and is maintained by the mother or father/actual caregiver;

to the legal guardian of the child;
to the director of the social welfare home.

The payment of the awarded childcare benefit is made exclusively in a cashless form, to the bank account indicated by the applicant.

Changes to the 800+ benefit for Ukrainian citizens from February 1, 2026.

Security in mCitizen: New service 'Document Reservation'

Your digital safety is a priority. From now on, in the mCitizen application, you can quickly and without leaving home reserve your ID card or passport, and if necessary, just as quickly undo this reservation. This solution protects you from the consequences of identity theft without the need to stand in lines.

How does it work?

The service integrates with the Document Reservation System (SDZ) of the Polish Bank Association. It is a nationwide database used by banks, mobile operators, notaries, and equipment rental companies. When you reserve a document in the app, the information about it is immediately sent to all entities using the system.

Who can use the service?

To manage the reservations of documents in mCitizen, you must meet three conditions:

Be an adult.
Have the app in version 4.75.0 or higher.
Have an active mID.

Instructions: How to reserve a document step by step

Reserving your ID card or passport will only take a few seconds:

Log in to the mCitizen app.
Go to the Services section.
In the Data Protection category, select the Reserve Document option.
Select the specific document (e.g., ID card), and then click Reserve ID.
Press Confirm. Done! Your data is safe.

Instructions: How to undo the reservation?

If the document has been found and you are sure it has not fallen into the wrong hands, you can restore its validity:

In the Reserve Document service, select the previously reserved document.
Click the Undo Reservation button.
Confirm your choice with the Confirm button.

Important! If you reserve a document in mCitizen, you will only undo it in the app. However, if you made the reservation directly at the bank, you must go to the bank branch to undo it.

Check the status of your document

In mCitizen, you can verify at any time whether your document is listed in the database of the Polish Bank Association as reserved. For security reasons, the app will display information about the fact of reservation itself, not specifying the name of the specific bank where the report was made.

Service availability

The new functionality is being implemented in phases. By February 9, 2026, the service will be available to all users of the mCitizen application at the latest.

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