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Social Policy

No 9 (426), 2009

Special issue - Child

We recommend the papers

Piotr Szukalski - Demography of the Contemporary Polish Childhood
The last dozen or so years is a time of rapid changes in demographic processes in Poland. The aim of the paper is to focus on demographic component of social and material status of the Polish children. The attention was paid to demographic threatens (mortality, orphanhood, increase in non-marital parenthood, teenagers’ fertility, concentration of births in disfavored social strata) and to opportunities (decrease in family size, increase in probability of living in multigenerational families).

Bożena Kołaczek - Living Conditions of Families with Children
At the beginning of XXI century, increase of income from the work is noticed in Poland. The rising level of economic activity decides the best level of family living. Therefore the children situation in family depends on parents’ position on labour market. If one of the parents is unemployed, poverty of children is most likely. Irrespective of poverty line accepted in analisy of living conditions of families with children, the large families (with three and more children) are most likely to be in danger of poverty.

Bogumiła Mucha-Leszko, Magdalena Kąkol - Migration after the European Union Enlargement
The work aims are: 1) analysis of intra EU migration after the recent regional block enlargement, 2) evaluation of its economic outcomes for the countries with the most inflow of immigrants and for which labour migration size was significant relative to their population potential. The most important conclusions are the following: 1) immigrants came mainly from the less developed countries, 2) migration had a positive impact on EU economic growth, 3) immigrants constituted complementary labour and did not cause labour market deterioration in the EU-15 countries, 4) financial remittances to emigrants countries were an important factor of demand growth.

Wielisława Warzywoda-Kruszyńska - Child Poverty in a Big City (an Example of Lodz)
The article, based on results obtained by the project "WZLOT - Strengthening opportunities and weakening transmission of poverty among inhabitants of towns in the Łódź Province", financed by the Framework Program "Human Capital" of European Social Fund provides evidence that poverty continues in poverty enclaves revealed in Lodz ten years ago. Subsequent generation of children has been growing up there in families living on welfare. One of predictors of intergenerational transmission of poverty to subsequent generation seems to be teenage motherhood hindering educational opportunities of young mothers. Because of horrible housing and living conditions health and development of their children is in danger.

Teresa Łaska-Mierzejewska, Elżbieta Olszewska - Biological Indicators of Change in the Economic Situation of Rural Families in the Period 1967–2001
The aim of this study is the estimation of biological effects of changes of economic conditions in Poland in 1967-2001. Rural girls aged 9.5-18.5 years were studied in 1967, 1977, 1987 and in 2001. The stratification of villagers (farmers, farm-workers and non-farmers) was based on the source of their family income. Age at menarche (AM), body height and weight were used as biological indicators of living conditions. During the decade 1967-1977, while a relatively good economic situation prevailed in the country, AM decreased (accelerated) by 0.64 years and distinct secular trends in height and weight were noted. During the decade 1977-1987, years of economic crisis, secular trends were arrested and age at menarche increased (decelerated) by 0.11 years. The study, repeated in 2001, showed positive secular trends in body height and a decrease (acceleration) in AM (0.24 years per decade), but in daughters of farmers, the AM decrease was twice as high as in non-farmer families. The latter group experienced acute unemployment after the political and economic system transformation (1989) AM appeared earliest in daughters of non-farmers, and latest in those from farmer families.

Krytysna Gutkowska, Anna Murawska - Rural Children - Socio-Economic Determinants of Access to Education
The problem of rural children and youth uneven access to educational services is determined not only by the educational infrastructure or the level of teachers’ qualification but also financial limitation in the realization of educational ambitions faced by the considerable part of rural families and relatively low level of importance of needs in the range of education. On the basis of own research and analysis of accessible secondary data one can ascertain the difficulties in the access to educational services in the rural areas, particularly to general secondary education and also financial limitations in the realization of educational needs observed in the families living from non paid sources, with many children and incomplete families. Financial problems cause resignation from using various educational services, and especially additional classes, private lesson and participation in school and extramural events.

Monika Sajkowska, Jolanta Szymańczak - Children as Victims. Scope and Forms of Child Abuse, the need of Intervention
The article presents the problem of child abuse, which was only noticed by Polish social policy as late as in 1990s. Authors try to define child abuse and describe its various forms. Using statistical and empirical data on the scope of child abuse in Poland, they focus on physical violence - including corporal punishments (eg. in the family) and sexual molestation, as well as violence between children themselves. Also, laws concerning the child abuse and various policy programs designated to prevent it are of concern for the authors.

Elwira Gross-Gołacka - Ministry of Labour and Social Policy for Children and Families
The article presents the policies of Ministry of Labor and Social Policy towards children and families with dependent children, mainly anti-poverty and policies of income-maintenance. The author focuses on family benefits and various work-family programs, and programs for families with handicapped children.

Bożena Balcerzak-Paradowska - Child in Family Policy. An Evaluation of on-going Programs. Patterns from Abroad. Directions for Action
In this text the author tries to evaluate policies designated for helping children and families with dependent children, namely pronatalist solutions like childbirth benefits or work-family programs. Also, the author is concerned with means of securing the rights of the child and selected problems of family policies of EU.

Janusz Szymborski - Children’s Health - the Forgotten Priori
The legal basis for the protection of children’s lives and health in Poland is provided by the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and Polish legislation and also by the international agreements ratified by our country. In this study, an attempt has been undertaken to assess the state of the observation of the rights of children to health. The main source materials were information from the activity of the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection and data from the Central Statistical Office. Selected data have been presented on the subject of the conditions of the life and development of children in Poland and the shaping of the factors of mortality in particular age categories. There is also a description of the main current health problems and the current state of health care for children in Poland. On account of the importance of the problem, the study concentrates on perinatal care but, on account of the scale and results of negligence, particular attention has also been paid to the health of children and youths of school age. In Poland, as in many other countries of the European Union, there has been noted an over-representation of children among poor people, which adversely affects their state of health and decreases their educational and developmental opportunities, particularly in the case of the youngest children. In the period 1990-2006, the number of deaths of infants fell by almost 80% while the mortality of children and youths from 1 to 19 years old fell by 56% but an assessment of the health situation on the basis of mortality factors has, in relation to the population of developmental age, a very limited value. In recent years in Poland, there has been observed a deterioration in the access afforded to pregnant and parturient women and newborns to prophylactic and therapeutic care adequate to their needs, which results from an undervaluing of the role of investment in the health of the youngest generation. The health of youths is the most neglected, marginalised and ignored area of medicine and health policy even though this period of life decides about the health capital with which young people enter adult life. There exists an urgent need for fundamental re-evaluations in the health policy of the state in order to improve the health care of mothers, children and youths, which demands the undertaking of systemic activities in the field of health promotion, the prophylaxis of diseases and risks and the restoration of health.

Marta Zahorska - Equal, the More Equal and the Least Equal ie. On Unequal Accesss to Education
The article is about social inequalities in education by which I understand the relationship between social background, i.e. parents’ socioeconomic status, and the student’s achievements at school. The Polish educational system creates the chance for advancement only for some people. There are children living in bad material conditions, whose families cannot take care of their proper development. Two education institutions are responsible for creating chances to these children: kindergarten and school. Neither of them fulfils its role accurately. The small number of kindergartens that are in Poland very seldom are attended by children from families with the lowest SES. Moreover, working with those children at school is not very effective, both in educational and didactic terms. These children form a group that only formally finish junior high school, creating the so called "hidden dropouts. Polish schools are proud of the fact that they have one of the lowest indicators of school dropouts in Europe. It seems however, that this is the effect of both imprecise data and the practice of „pushing” students through junior high school. I observed this phenomenon in several schools and it was also mentioned in many interviews with teachers. It seems therefore, that it requires a more careful diagnosis as well as applying preventive measures.

Danuta Graniewska - Present and Past: Social Functions of Nurseries and Kindergartens
The article presents past and present social functions of nurseries and kindergartens, the traditions of those institutions and contexts in which they presently operate, including their various problems.

Danuta Graniewska - Present and Past: Social Functions of Nurseries and Kindergartens
The article presents past and present social functions of nurseries and kindergartens, the traditions of those institutions and contexts in which they presently operate, including their various problems.

Bożena Kołaczek, Aneta Wójcik - Coping with Problems of Children: Activities and Strategies of local Self-governments in Poland
The aim of the article is showing the problems of children and youth in both the action and in the programs of local authorities in the opinions of representatives of social assistance centres. The second purpose is analisy of several local strategy for solve social problems in the view of help and prevention of difficult matters concerning children and youth.

Dorota Głogosz - Prevention and Compensation: Meeting Ends of Local Family Policy
County Family Assistance Centres (CFAC) realize wide scope of assignments. Their obligations are connected with administer of aid for families in crisis and with prevention of crisis situations, too. CFAC perform their duty in differential conditions. Short funds and shortage of professional personnel limit capabilities of effective acting. Social work and immediate work with families are very difficult or impossible in these conditions. Instability of family policy priorities is a serious barrier CFAC’s efficiency. Co-operation CFAC with other local family-oriented entities – formal and informal - facilitates achievement of local family policy tasks.

ks. Zbigniew Sobolewski - Polish Cartitas for Children
The article presents actions of Caritas in Poland designated to prevent poverty among children.

Anna Blumsztajn - How to Ensure Young Children their Right to Education and Development - Comenius Foundation Experiences
The rights of children to education and participation are in Poland almost exclusively limited to age-school children. Young children are seen as needing health care, not educational stimulation. This is why the Committe on the Rights of the Child issued a special comment recommending to apply all of the rights of the child, including those fostering education and participation, to young children. It seems particularly important to implement the rights of the child to this age group, who can’t express its own need autonomously and does not have any political or institutional support. Comenius Foundation is one of the very few polish nongovernmental organizations, who focus on educational activities for this age group. The two described Comenius Foundation projects – show how you can implement activities that allow the youngest citizens to educate themselves and participate into local social life.

Roman Rynkowski - Coping with Children Social and Cultural Negligence in Small Communities: an Example of FOUNDATION „Tęczowy Most” in Bakałarzewo
The article presents action of foundation "Tęczowy Most" in Bakałarzewo designated to prevent educational, social and cultural exclusion of children and teenagers in small towns.

Marek Liciński – Social Work with Family as an Alternative to Foster Care
The article presents various forms of family services, namely family advising or the support of family assistant as an alternative for foster care.

"Social Policy " - Contents 9/2009 : Special Issue