Anna is going back to work when her daughter turns one. She has found a nursery she likes, but she does not know how much she will actually pay. She has heard about 1500 zł from the Aktywny Rodzic programme, about some kind of fee cap, and that the money does not go to the parent. She wants to know whether she will get the benefit, when to apply and what not to miss.
This article answers those questions. It explains the conditions of the Aktywnie w żłobku benefit — literally “active at nursery” — shows how it differs from the other two benefits of the Aktywny Rodzic (“active parent”) programme, and walks through the application step by step. We base it on information from gov.pl (as of October 2026) and on the Act of 15 May 2024 on supporting parents in professional activity and raising a child, known as “Aktywny rodzic”.
Aktywnie w żłobku — the conditions in brief
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much is the benefit? | Up to 1500 zł a month, up to 1900 zł for a child with a disability certificate |
| Does income matter? | No, the benefit is paid regardless of income |
| Where must the child go? | To a nursery (żłobek) or children’s club (klub dziecięcy) in the register, or to a day carer (dzienny opiekun) on the official list |
| What is the fee cap? | From 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 the fee must not exceed 2200 zł a month |
| Are meals included? | No, the charge for meals is not part of the fee for the child’s stay |
| Who does ZUS pay? | The operator of the nursery or club, or the day carer — not the parent |
| When should you apply? | Within two months of the start of care at the latest, to get the benefit from the first month |
| How do you apply? | Online only: PUE/eZUS, the mZUS app, the Emp@tia portal or your bank |
The Aktywny Rodzic programme: three benefits
Aktywny Rodzic is a programme in which the parent chooses one of three benefits. Only one of them can be received for the same child at the same time.
| Benefit | For whom | Amount | Child’s age | Who receives the money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aktywnie w żłobku | The child attends a nursery, a children’s club or a day carer | Up to 1500 zł (up to 1900 zł with a disability certificate) | For the whole period of attendance | The nursery, club or day carer |
| Aktywni rodzice w pracy | Both parents work and the child is looked after by, for example, a nanny or a grandparent | 1500 zł (1900 zł with a disability certificate) | From the 12th to the 35th month of life | The parent |
| Aktywnie w domu | The parent does not work and the child does not attend a nursery | 500 zł | From the 12th to the 35th month of life | The parent |
If the child attends a nursery, the right benefit is Aktywnie w żłobku. If the parents work but the child stays with a nanny or grandparents, Aktywni rodzice w pracy (“active parents at work”) fits. It requires each parent to pay pension and disability contributions on a base of at least half the minimum wage (30 percent for entrepreneurs using reduced ZUS contributions), and together at least the full minimum wage. Aktywnie w domu (“active at home”) is for parents who are not working and do not use a nursery.
Which benefit should you choose?
Choosing a benefit from the Aktywny Rodzic programme comes down to one question: who looks after the child day to day. The amounts differ clearly, and a benefit that has been granted cannot be received alongside another one for the same child, so it is worth deciding deliberately before you submit your first application.
- The child goes to a nursery, a children’s club or a day carer. Then you choose Aktywnie w żłobku. You do not have to work, and the amount goes straight to the provider and lowers your fee.
- Both parents work and a nanny or a relative looks after the child. Then Aktywni rodzice w pracy fits: 1500 zł into the parent’s account, from the 12th to the 35th month of the child’s life. If you are raising the child alone, you do not have to show that a second parent works.
- One parent does not work and stays at home with the child. Then Aktywnie w domu applies: 500 zł a month, also from the 12th to the 35th month of life.
A family’s situation changes, and the benefit can change with it. A parent who received Aktywnie w domu until the child’s first birthday, then goes back to work and enrols the child in a nursery, applies for Aktywnie w żłobku. The only rule is that one benefit is granted for the same child at any one time.
Who can get Aktywnie w żłobku?
The benefit can be claimed by the child’s mother or father, a legal guardian, or a person to whom a court has entrusted care of the child, for example a foster family. If a court has ordered alternating custody, each parent can apply and receive half of the amount every month.
The most important point is that the benefit does not depend on income or on whether the parents work. A parent who is not working but sends the child to a nursery can also receive Aktywnie w żłobku. What matters is that the child actually uses care in an institution that meets the programme’s conditions.
Which childcare provider qualifies?
Aktywnie w żłobku is only paid when the child attends a nursery or children’s club entered in the register of nurseries and children’s clubs, or is looked after by a day carer entered on the list of day carers. The word “nursery” on a sign or a contract with a nanny is not enough — what counts is the entry in the register or on the list.
Before signing a contract, it is worth asking the provider whether it is in the register or on the list, and what form of care it is. Without that, the application will not go through, even if everything else is in order.
The fee cap: 2200 zł
This is the condition many parents learn about too late. From 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 the monthly fee for the child’s stay must not exceed 2200 zł. If it does, the benefit is not paid at all — it is not reduced, it is lost entirely.
The cap applies to the fee for the stay after discounts granted by the nursery and after subsidies from the municipal budget or EU funds. The charge for meals does not count. When comparing nurseries, it is therefore worth asking not only about the price, but also which part is the fee for the stay and which part covers meals and activities.
How much is the benefit?
The benefit is up to 1500 zł a month per child. If the child has a disability certificate and needs permanent or long-term care, or the constant involvement of a carer in treatment, rehabilitation and education, the amount rises to 1900 zł. With alternating custody each parent receives half: up to 750 zł or up to 950 zł.
The words “up to” matter here. The benefit cannot be higher than the fee the parent pays for the child’s stay. ZUS transfers the money directly to the account of the operator running the nursery or children’s club, or of the day carer — by the 20th of each month, for the previous month. The nursery reduces the parent’s fee by that amount.
When to apply so you do not lose money
You cannot apply earlier than the day the child starts attending the nursery. After that, two months matter:
- if you apply within two months of the child’s first day at the nursery, you get the benefit from the month in which the child started,
- if you apply later, you only get the benefit from the month in which you applied. The money for the earlier months is lost.
The simplest approach is to apply during the first week of settling in. The benefit is then paid for the whole period during which the child attends that provider.
How to apply step by step
The application goes to ZUS, the Polish Social Insurance Institution, and can only be made online. There are four routes: the Electronic Services Platform (PUE/eZUS), the mZUS mobile app, the Emp@tia portal of the Ministry of Family and your online banking, if your bank offers the service.
- Prepare your own details, the child’s details and the details of the nursery, children’s club or day carer. If the child has a disability certificate, have its number ready.
- Log in to PUE/eZUS. If you do not have a profile, you can create one online or apply through Emp@tia or your bank — ZUS will then set up a profile from the application data.
- Choose “Aktywny Rodzic Wniosek i informacje” from the menu, then the Aktywnie w żłobku application.
- Fill in the application, attach the required documents and send it.
- Watch your PUE/eZUS inbox. If something is missing, ZUS will ask you to complete it — without that the application will not be processed.
You will be told that the benefit has been granted in PUE/eZUS and by email. A refusal can be appealed to the President of ZUS within 14 days. For questions, the ZUS helpline is (22) 560 16 00.
When the benefit does not apply
You will not receive Aktywnie w żłobku if:
- the child does not attend a nursery or children’s club and is not looked after by a day carer,
- the fee for the stay exceeds the 2200 zł cap,
- for the same child at the same time you receive the family care capital (rodzinny kapitał opiekuńczy) or a nursery subsidy under acquired rights,
- you have already been granted Aktywni rodzice w pracy or Aktywnie w domu for the same child,
- the child attends a preschool.
The last point matters when the child moves from nursery to preschool. Aktywnie w żłobku ends together with the nursery placement. If the child started preschool before turning 35 months, the parent can still apply for Aktywnie w domu.
The most common mistakes with Aktywnie w żłobku
Most problems with Aktywnie w żłobku do not come from complicated rules but from a few simple slip-ups. Each of them can be avoided if you check a handful of things before signing the contract with the nursery and during the child’s first weeks there.
- A late application. An application made more than two months after the first day at nursery only brings the benefit from the month it was submitted. The lost months cannot be recovered.
- An application made too early. You cannot apply before the child’s first day at nursery, so there is no point planning it for the day you sign the contract.
- A fee above the cap. A fee for the stay higher than 2200 zł means no benefit, even if the excess is small. Ask the nursery what the fee for the stay is without meals.
- A provider outside the register. Without an entry in the register of nurseries and children’s clubs, or on the list of day carers, the benefit is not available.
- Gaps left unfilled. If ZUS asks for the application to be corrected and the parent does not do it, the application will not be processed. These requests arrive in PUE/eZUS, so it is worth checking there.
- Two benefits at once. If Aktywni rodzice w pracy or Aktywnie w domu has already been granted for the child, Aktywnie w żłobku will not be granted for the same period.
How much will you pay for nursery after the benefit?
After the Aktywnie w żłobku benefit you pay the difference between the fee for the stay and the benefit, plus whatever the benefit does not cover, such as meals. The calculation is simple, but the result depends heavily on whether the fee is within the 2200 zł cap and whether it is below or above 1500 zł. Three examples:
| Fee for the stay | Benefit | Parent pays for the stay |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 zł | 1200 zł (no more than the fee) | 0 zł |
| 1800 zł | 1500 zł | 300 zł |
| 2300 zł | 0 zł (fee above the 2200 zł cap) | 2300 zł |
The last row shows why the cap matters so much: a nursery 100 zł over the cap can in practice cost a family 1500 zł more. The amounts in the table are examples, not the price list of any particular provider. You can work out your own situation with the Aktywny Rodzic calculator. If you are comparing nursery prices in Warsaw, the article on how much a Montessori nursery costs in Warsaw will also help.
FAQ — parents’ questions about Aktywnie w żłobku
Do I have to work to get Aktywnie w żłobku? No. Aktywnie w żłobku does not depend on employment or income. The condition is that the child attends a registered nursery or children’s club, or is looked after by a day carer on the official list, and that the fee for the stay does not exceed 2200 zł.
From what age is Aktywnie w żłobku paid? The benefit is paid from the month the child starts attending the nursery, for the whole stay. The range from the 12th to the 35th month of life applies to the other two benefits of the programme. We write about when a child can start nursery in the article nursery — from what age.
Will the money be paid into my account? No. ZUS transfers the benefit to the account of the operator running the nursery or children’s club, or employing the day carer. The provider reduces the parent’s fee by that amount. Only Aktywni rodzice w pracy and Aktywnie w domu are paid into the parent’s account.
What if I apply late? If you apply more than two months after the child’s first day at the nursery, you get the benefit from the month in which you applied. The money for the earlier months is lost, so it is best to apply at the start of settling in.
Do meals count towards the 2200 zł cap? No. The cap applies to the fee for the child’s stay after discounts and subsidies, without meals. The benefit does not cover meals either — the parent pays for them separately.
Can a foreigner get Aktywnie w żłobku? The benefit is available to the people listed in the Act, including Ukrainian citizens with UKR status living in Poland with their child. For other foreigners the conditions depend on the type of residence, so it is best to check them on gov.pl or with the ZUS helpline.
Final thoughts
Aktywnie w żłobku can reduce the nursery fee by as much as 1500 zł a month, but only if three conditions are met: the provider is in the register or on the list, the fee for the stay is within the 2200 zł cap, and the application reaches ZUS within two months of the first day at nursery. These three things are worth checking before you sign a contract. If anything is unclear, ask the nursery or call the ZUS helpline — it is better to make sure before the first day than to lose months of the benefit.
If you are looking for a nursery in Białołęka, visit the Montessori nursery page and the price list, then work out your amount in the Aktywny Rodzic calculator. For preparing your child for the first days, see our nursery settling-in guide.