Calculate how much you can receive as a subsidy for childcare in nursery, kindergarten, or children's club.
The benefit is capped at the fee you actually pay. There is no income test.
How much you can save:
Nursery fee: 1200 zł/mo
Subsidy: 1200 zł/mo
Your cost: 0 zł/mo
About Daycare Subsidy
Subsidy for childcare in nursery, kindergarten or children's club is a family support program introduced in April 2022. It helps cover part of the costs of caring for preschool-age children, enabling parents to return to work.
Complete guide to daycare subsidy
Since October 2024 the benefit is "aktywnie w żłobku", which replaced the earlier 400 zł reduction of the nursery fee. It pays 1500 zł a month towards care in a nursery, a children's club or with a registered day carer, rising to 1900 zł where the child holds a disability certificate carrying the required indications. There is no income test. The payment can never exceed the fee the parent actually pays, so a place costing less than the entitlement is simply covered in full. It is paid to the provider against the child's fee rather than into the parent's account, which is why a nursery may still invoice for the balance. Applications go to ZUS electronically. Rates and rules change: confirm the current figures on gov.pl or zus.pl before relying on them.
How much:
- 1500 PLN/mo as standard
- 1900 PLN/mo with a qualifying disability certificate
- Never more than the fee you actually pay
- No income test applies
Requirements and documents:
- Child aged 1-3 years (until age 3)
- Child attends nursery, kindergarten or children's club
- Parents work or run a business
- Documents: ID cards and the nursery contract
- Place of residence: Poland
How to submit an application:
- To ZUS, electronically
- Via PUE ZUS, Empatia or a banking app
- Required documents: ID cards, nursery contract
- Decision within 30 days
- Can be submitted during school year
Where can childcare be used:
- Nursery (public or private)
- Kindergarten (public or private)
- Children's club
- Day caregiver (registered)
What replaced what:
- Until 2024: a 400 PLN reduction of the nursery fee
- From October 2024: aktywnie w żłobku, 1500 PLN/mo
- Neither scheme has ever been means-tested
Important information:
- For children from 1 to 3 years old (until age 3)
- Apply through OPS (Social Assistance Center) or PCPR
- Can use nursery, kindergarten or children's club
- Subsidy covers part of the fee, parent pays the rest
⚠️ These are ESTIMATE calculations for informational purposes only.
Calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
The nursery benefit went from 400 zł to 1500 zł, and it still is not means-tested
In October 2024 aktywnie w żłobku replaced the earlier 400 zł reduction of the nursery fee. It pays 1500 zł a month — 1900 zł where the child holds a disability certificate with the required indications — and, like the scheme before it, applies no income test at all. The one limit is that it can never exceed the fee you are actually charged.
How it works
- Applies the current rate, 1500 zł or 1900 zł, per eligible child.
- Caps the result at the monthly fee you enter, which is the real constraint.
- Shows the annual total for the period the child remains eligible.
entitlement = 1500 zł per month, or 1900 zł with a qualifying disability certificate benefit = min(entitlement, the fee you actually pay) no income test paid towards care in a nursery, a children's club or with a registered day carer
Worked example
Why the fee matters more than the headline rate.
- a place costing 1200 zł a month is covered in full — the benefit is 1200, not 1500
- a place costing 1800 zł draws the full 1500, leaving 300 for the parent
- the extra 400 zł for a qualifying disability lifts that ceiling to 1900
- income plays no part in either figure
- the payment goes to the provider against your fee, not into your account
Up to 1500 zł a month, but never more than the bill. For many families that turns nursery from a major cost into a small one, which is the point of the change.
Reading the result
- Because the money goes to the provider rather than the parent, a nursery may still invoice you for the balance above the benefit. That is not an error — it is the difference between your fee and the capped entitlement.
- This replaced, rather than supplemented, the 400 zł fee reduction. Guidance written before October 2024 describes a scheme that no longer exists, and older calculators that tier the amount by family income are describing something that never existed at all.
- The higher 1900 zł rate needs a disability certificate carrying specific indications, not merely a certificate. The exact wording matters, so check the current requirement rather than assuming any certificate qualifies.
- Applications go to ZUS electronically. Rates and rules change: confirm current figures on gov.pl or zus.pl, and treat your ZUS decision as binding rather than this page.
Common questions
- How much is the aktywnie w żłobku nursery benefit?
- 1500 zł a month per child, or 1900 zł where the child holds a disability certificate with the required indications. It can never exceed the fee you are actually charged: a place costing 1200 zł a month is covered in full, so the benefit is 1200 zł, not 1500 zł. It pays towards care in a nursery, a children's club or with a registered day carer.
- Is the nursery benefit means-tested?
- No, income plays no part at all. Since October 2024 aktywnie w żłobku has replaced, rather than supplemented, the earlier 400 zł reduction of the nursery fee, which was not means-tested either. Guidance written before October 2024 describes a scheme that no longer exists, and calculators that tier the amount by family income describe something that never existed.
- Why does the nursery still send me an invoice?
- Because the benefit is paid to the provider against your fee, not into your account, and the nursery can invoice you for the balance above it. With a fee of 1800 zł, for example, the benefit covers 1500 zł and you pay 300 zł. Applications go to ZUS electronically, and the ZUS decision is binding.