As the new school year approaches, families in need in the Czech Republic can seek support from the government for their children’s school supplies. The Ministry of Labor, led by Marian Jurečka of the KDU-ČSL, offers emergency assistance for families who cannot afford the necessary materials and equipment for their children to succeed in school.
This assistance, which falls under the “material need benefits” category, is available to families who meet certain income and asset criteria. The government may fully cover the expenses for educational items like school supplies, backpacks, and more. Additionally, children from lower-income households may receive free lunches at school. The government provides these services to help ensure that all children have the resources they need to succeed in their education.
Jurečka emphasized that the government is “ready to help all parents, households, single parents, and single mothers when they cannot secure quality equipment for their children at the beginning of the school year due to financial and property reasons. When people are in need, we can finance basic school supplies, backpacks, and more.” Families can apply for this assistance in person or electronically through the Ministry of Labor’s website.
During the first half of this year, the Ministry of Labor provided 1,578 extraordinary material need benefits to families with school-aged children, totaling 3.7 million Czech korunas. In comparison, last year, the government provided a 5,000 koruna ($220) per child contribution for families with a gross income of less than one million korunas. 1.4 million children received this assistance, with total expenses reaching almost seven billion korunas. However, Jurečka stated that “this level of support will not be applied this year.”
In addition to this back-to-school assistance, the Ministry of Labor will continue a project that funds free school lunches for children from low-income families, with support from the European Union’s Employment+ program. During the last school year, 9,749 children from more than 1,200 schools received free lunches. Jurečka stated that the government will work with schools, regions, and labor offices to help finance lunches for families and children in need.
This assistance is crucial for families and children who may not have the resources to invest in their education. By providing these benefits, the government can help ensure that all children have the opportunity to succeed in school and beyond.