Family model changes in Poland - threats and challenges

Joanna Szczepaniak-Sienniak, Wroclaw University of Economics

The main objective of the presentation is to present new perspectives of family policy in Poland and the possibility of rebuilding this policy, taking into consideration both the still unresolved problems and risks of family change, as well as new challenges resulting from this state of affairs in demographic as well as social and economic aspects. The background considerations are the selected experiences of other European countries in this field. Alike other European countries, Poland has also witnessed the transformation of the model of the creation and the disintegration of the family, manifested in such phenomena as the low fertility rate, the decrease of the married population, etc. Among the threats implied by changes of the family in Poland, one should mention not only the expected demographic imbalances, but also the disruption of the principles of social justice and the lack of equal access to institutions and social services (including education, health care, of children and the elderly), increasing social exclusion of the family, or other related negative effects. It should be noted that the demographic imbalance, as well as the lack of social justice, may have a negative impact on both social and economic development. Contemporary changes of the family imply the need to seek new perspectives in family policy. Successive reforms and proposed changes in this area have not yielded the expected results, either in terms of demographic balance, the society or the economy of the country. They do not include in full many important aspects, among them the above-mentioned principles of social justice, transformation of the family as well as other aspects, such as the empowerment of families, economic changes (especially in the labor market) and the mutual implications of family policy and the economy. This presentation is a part of my on-going research project.