Crèches and local children’s clubs

What are crèches and local children’s clubs?

Crèches and local children’s clubs are any organizational units which are meant to:

provide quality care to children in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment;
provide appropriate activities according to the children’s age in order to develop each child socially, emotionally, physically and linguistically;
ensure that children are taken care of in homelike conditions.

Who may establish and run crèches and local children’s clubs?

Crèches and local children’s clubs may be established and conducted by:

a commune (gmina),
a natural person,
a corporation and organizational unit without legal personality.

The staff

The staff number in crèches and local children’s clubs hinges on the number of children under care. One minder may look after 8 children, maximally.

If there is a disabled child, the child that requires special care, and in case of crèche, a child aged up to 1 year old in the group, one minder may look after 5 children, maximally.

A nurse or midwife is expected to be employed in a crèche where attend more than 20 children.

Who may become a care provider?

The care provider in a crèche or local children’s club must be qualified in one of the following professions:

nurse
midwife
child minder
nursery teacher
nursery educator
childcare teacher.

Additionally, a person may become a care provider if they have at least secondary education and meet the following requirements:

at least 2 years of experience in working with children under three years of age (if he/she has not been working with children for six months, he/she is obliged to undergo an 80-hour-training course in order to update their knowledge),
directly before being employed as a child minder in a crèche or local children’s club, he or she underwent a 280-hour-training course (including at least 80 hours of practical classes).

Remember!

In order to provide care for children you may take advantage of trained volunteers.

Basic differences between crèches and local children’s clubs:

	Crèche	Local children’s club
The age of a child	Over 20 weeks of age	Over a year of age
Care hours	Up to 10 hours a day	Up to 5 hours a day
Possibility of extending the dimension of care	In justified cases, the dimension of care can be extended for an additional fee, upon the request of the child's parent	The dimension of care cannot be extended
Obligation when employing a nurse or midwife	A nurse or midwife is expected to be employed in a crèche where attend more than 20 children	No such obligation
The person in charge of the facility	A crèche is to be headed by a director (university degree and at least 3 years’ experience in working with children or at least secondary education and at least 5 years’ experience in working with children)	Local children’s club may be directed by the person with minder qualifications
Participation of parents in the classes	Parents may not attend classes	Parents may attend classes
Food provision	Children should be provided with meals	There is no obligation to provide meals to children
Facility	The facility must have at least two rooms, including one for the children to rest	The facility must have at least one room. It should also provide a place for children to rest

Crèches and local children’s clubs - Artykul