Summary

In 2022, the SAI of Poland (hereinafter – SAI Poland) conducted an audit on the provision of social support for orphaned children in orphanages. Since 2015, the Act on Family Support and Foster Care has restricted the admission of children under the age of 7 to orphanages, and since 2020, children under 10. The audit revealed that some orphanages continued to admit infants and children under 7, which negatively impacted the quality of care provided to other children. This reform of the orphan support system was intended to promote foster care and reduce the number of orphanages and the children residing in them. By December 31, 2020, orphanages were required to adapt to a limit of no more than 14 children per facility. However, as of January 1, 2021, only six institutions were complying with this requirement. The auditors noted that in some cases, orphanages were formally divided into smaller units, yet this did not result in changes to their operational methods. The audit further highlighted that all institutions adhered to procedures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic and received sufficient government support to organize remote learning. However, SAI Poland observed that the pandemic increased the workload on orphanage staff, requiring them to handle numerous tasks, including the organization of online classes. In several institutions, SAI Poland identified a shortage of caregivers and a lack of documentation confirming the qualifications of orphanage staff. In some cases, children with disabilities were placed in facilities that did not meet established requirements, negatively affecting the level of care provided. Additionally, auditors recorded instances of unacceptable behavior by staff toward children.