Inter-sectoral cooperation for solving the problems of working parents – ad hoc activities or long-term policy?

Abstract

Family and work have for many years been occupying the highest position in the ranking of values highly regarded by Poles. However, for many working parents the combination of activeness in the areas of work and family is a huge burden. The special situation in the context of child care and simultaneous professional work refers to women who are mothers. Actions aimed at supporting the working parents become important. Partners of projects performed for combining professional and family duties should not only pay attention both to the already existing legal and organisational solutions but also to cultural attitudes related to perceiving the social roles, division of roles in a family and, in that context, analyse the possibility to combine family and professional duties. It would be worth drawing the partners’ attention, particularly those of the local government sector, to the consideration of tasks related to the development of care services in the territorial social policy strategies. It is necessary to develop care outlets and monitor the consequences of the introduced family supporting solutions, including the extension of maternity leave and the level of use of parental rights by fathers, from the point of view of the situation of women in the labour market. For effective promotion of solutions supporting the combination of professional and family duties by the partners, it would be advisable to carry out educational campaigns among the employers and the employees, as well as social campaigns related to the partner division of duties in families. A large role to be played here is for media and non-government organisations. It seems, therefore, that such understood partnership, i.e. cooperation for the achievement of a common objective in the form of facilitated combination of professional and family duties, may generate long-term positive effects in future. The purpose of this article is to present the instruments which facilitate combining professional work and parenthood in light of the existing legal and institutional solutions, as well as actions undertaken for the performance of the task and its promotion.