MPSV.CZ - Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic

Contents Family:

• (File .pdf)Financial Situation of Families with Childern in The Czech Republic
  File for download: financni_situace_en.pdf, Size: 1.0 MB, Last revision: 19.10.2007
• (File .pdf)National Family Report
  File for download: report_AJ.pdf, Size: 214.0 KB, Last revision: 29.06.2007
• (File .pdf)Socio-demographic analysis of single-parent families with minor children in the Czech Republic
  File for download: analyza_neuplnych_rodin_en.pdf, Size: 1.3 MB, Last revision: 19.10.2007

Family

Contens:

• Financial support for families
• Services in support of families
• Reconciling professional and family roles

Financial support for families

Financial support for families takes place in two main regions of tax measures and the social security system.

Tax measures

Families are provided indirect financial support through tax measures. These include, without limitation:

• calculation of tax on a joint tax basis of married couples (joint taxation)
  Starting from the tax period of 2005, married couples who maintain at least one child are provided an option, under Sect. 13a, Act No. 586/1992 Coll., on income taxes, as amended (hereinafter "the Act"), to make use of the institute of calculation of tax on a joint tax basis, i.e. joint taxation of married couples. The institute may (even significantly) reduce a couple's overall tax liability subject to certain circumstances, in particular if one of the spouses has no taxable income or if incomes of both spouses differ. Married couples may split their joint tax basis between them (each of the spouses taking a half after claiming tax exemptions, subject to satisfying requirements applicable to such claims).
• tax allowance
  1. a) tax benefit for a maintained child living in the household with the taxpayer (tax allowance, or, tax bonus)
     The amended Act No. 586/1992 Coll., on income taxes, as amended (hereinafter "the Act"), as of 1 Jan. 2005, replaced the tax exempt proportion of the tax basis for a maintained child with a new institute "tax benefit for a maintained child living in the household with the taxpayer". The child tax benefit, as opposed to the tax exempt proportion of the tax basis, is deduced not from the tax basis but, at the assessed amount, directly from the computed tax or, in case of employees, from the advance tax calculated for separate calendar months. The tax relief consists in reduction of the computed tax (or, monthly advance tax in case of employees) by the assessed tax allowance. If the tax calculated for a low-income taxpayer is lower than the tax benefit (tax allowance) amount, such taxpayer shall become eligible for being paid a tax bonus. In order to obtain the tax bonus, the taxpayer should be economically active, i.e. she or he should generate a taxable income equal to at least six multiples of the minimum wage over the tax period, or, equal at least to the minimum wage in case of the monthly wage taxation.
  2. b) tax deduction for a husband or wife
     A tax deduction may be claimed for a husband/wide living in the household, whose incomes do not exceed CZK 38 040 per calendar year, while the annual tax allowance amounts to CZK 4 200 per maintained wife/husband.

For further information on the tax measures for families, kindly visit the Internet pages of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic.

Social security system

Families may obtain "family benefits" using the following institutes:

• Social insurance
  Social insurance, including sickness insurance (laid down by Act No. 54/1956 Coll., on sickness insurance of employees), basic pension insurance and helplessness pension supplement (laid down by Act No. 155/1995 Coll., on pension insurance), is part of the social security system, in the meaning of Act No.582/1991 Coll., on organisation and administration of social security, as amended.
  
  A citizen (family member) participates in the social insurance system to assure herself or himself for future insured events such as an accident, sickness, maternity, old age, disability, unemployment or loss of the breadwinner, for situations of a threatened or lost income of such person. In such foreseeable adverse social circumstances, the person is eligible either for the benefits released by the sickness insurance system: maternity cash assistance; pregnancy and maternity compensation benefit; and benefit for care of a family member, or for the benefits under the pension insurance system: old-age pension (including early retirement pension); full disability pension; partial disability pension; widow's and widower's and orphan's pension.
  
  For further information on separate types of benefits, kindly refer to: sickness insurance benefits system and pension insurance.
  
  As of 1 Jan. 2007, new Act No. 187/2006 Coll., on sickness insurance is coming into force. Integrated into the act are a series of new pro-family measures. The act will e.g. allow the insured parents to make one mutual exchange for the period of 9 days in the course of their care of a sick child (without losing their title to the sickness benefit for caring of a sick child - so-called care benefit); the act will stipulate the title to the care benefit for an employee who is unable to perform her or his work due to providing care to a woman-member of the household throughout the time immediately following giving birth to a child if so required by the mother's condition, or due to caring of a child aged under 10 in case the person otherwise caring of such child has given birth. The father of the child or husband of the woman who has delivered the child will become eligible, providing he so agrees with the mother of the child, to receive the maternity cash assistance, starting from the 7th week of the child's birth.
• State social support
  The state social support system has been laid down by Act No. 117/1995 Coll., on state social support, as amended.
  
  The concept of state social support includes subsistence benefits provided to the persons (family members) who have encountered socially qualified social neediness situations, while the government, through payment of the benefits, has been accepting a share in responsibility for such emerged situation. The following are provided under the state social support system: child allowance, parental allowance, social allowance, housing allowance, birth grant, funeral grant and foster care allowances and allowance for school aids.
  
  For further information on separate types of benefits and contact points with which applications for the above benefits may be filed, kindly refer to: state social support benefits.
  
  As of 1 Feb. 2006, driven by an effort to improve reconciliation of work and child care, an option has been provided to parents to place their child aged over 3 in a kindergarten or similar facility for up to 4 hours a day, without losing their entitlement to the parental allowance. (Implemented by Act No.204/2005 Coll., amending Act No. 117/1995 Coll., on state social support). Furthermore, for the purposes of supporting parents with children, Act No. 113/2006 Coll., amending Act No.117/1995 Coll., on state social support, came into effect as of 1 April 2006. The latter new act has provided for an increase of the birth grant to ten multiples of the minimum subsistence level applicable to the personal needs of a child (also, if twins, triplets or more children are born at the same time, the birth grant currently amounts to 15 multiples of the minimum subsistence for personal needs of a child per each child born) and introduced the allowance for school aids. A measure to significantly improve financial circumstances of parents caring of a child on a parental leave is represented by an increased parental allowance to equal 40% of the average wage in the nonbusiness sector, i.e. approx. CZK 7 300. The measure has been implemented by Act No. 112/2006 Coll., amending certain acts in connection with adoption of the Act on the minimum living and subsistence levels and Act on assistance in material destitution, and comes into force as of 1 Jan. 2007.
• Social assistance
  In case a family, for various reasons, encounters social neediness circumstances, i.e. it is lacking resources to cover its very basic living needs or finds itself in a defined difficult life situation, it is enabled a possibility to obtain social assistance benefits for families and children. The benefits currently include the following types: child maintenance benefit; cash and in-kind benefits to parents of dependent children, pregnant women and dependent children; allowance at contracting of marriage; allowance for acquisition of child's basic equipment prior to entrusting the child to foster care; allowance for settlement for use of flat of an orphaned dependent child; and, allowance for recreation of pensioner's child.
  
  Provision of social assistance benefits is stipulated, effective until 31 Dec. 2006, by Act No. 482/1991 Coll., on social neediness, and also by Act No. 100/1988 Coll., on social security, Act No. 114/1988 Coll., on the competence of the CR bodies in social security and Decree of MoLSA No. 182/1991 Coll. As of 1 Jan. 2007, this area will be stipulated in particular by new Act No. 111/2006 Coll., on the minimum living and subsistence levels.
  
  For further information on separate types of benefits a contact points with which applications for the above benefits may be filed, kindly refer to: social assistance benefits system.

Services in support of families

From the family policy perspective, three types of activities focused on support for families¹⁾:

1. Social services, aimed at assisting and supporting individual members of a family /or a family that, as a whole, has encountered adverse social circumstances, while the purpose of such services is to prevent social exclusion. The key types of social services include the following:
   • social counselling (such as matrimonial and family social counselling, counselling centres for seniors, counselling centres for persons with physical handicaps, counselling centres pro victims of crime and domestic violence)
   • social assistance services (such as personal assistance, home care services, respite care services, daily services centres)
   • social prevention services (early intervention, helpline crisis intervention, asylum homes, halfway houses, social animation services for families with children, field programmes)
2. Services in support of a functional family are of a preventative and supportive description. They serve the purpose of facilitating and reinforcing cohabitation and parenthood of partner and married couples, providing support to families in their care of children and at reconciling work and family life. The group may be further analyzed as follows:²⁾
   1. Commercially provided services in support of a functional family³⁾:
      • babysitting children up to three years of age⁴⁾ and over three years of age⁵⁾ by a non-parent (performed pursuant to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act))
      • assistance with household keeping (such as household maintenance, family supplies - performed pursuant to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act))⁶⁾
      • leisure and educational activities pro children (performed pursuant to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act)).
   2. Non-commercially provided services in support of a functional family⁷⁾:
      • mother centres
      • provision of leisure activities for children or families with children (such as centres for family, after-school care centres)
      • support of reconciling professional and family roles (particularly lecturing activities and social counselling)
      • support of and education in harmonic partnership, marriage and responsible parenthood (particularly lecturing activities and courses)
      • other types of activities in support of a functional family
3. Activities delivered as part of social law protection of children:
   • preventative activities as part of social law protection of children
   • counselling activities as part of social law protection of children
   • activities as part of social law protection of children in substitute family care
   • working with children in need of increased attention as part of social law protection of children
   • incorporation of facilities for social law protection of children

In order to address the above issues, a workgroup has been established at the MoLSA, composed of non-governmental not-for-profit organisation representatives who professionally engage in activities in support of families. An objective of the workgroup is to map the area of services for families, in order to enable conceptual grasping and development of the agenda.

Reconciling professional and family roles

An objective in this respect is to enable parents achieving of improved levels of reconciling their professional and family roles if they prefer to retain both their parenthood and professional career. When creating conditions for implementation of better reconciliation of professional and family roles, a balanced approach to both the interests of parents and children is required. Improved reconciling of professional and family roles requires, as a prerequisite, in particular existence of measures of a labour law focus and existence of financially and territorially accessible child care services (with particular relevance to children up to three years of, pre-school and younger primary school age children).

A. In relation to pregnancy, childbirth and afterbirth care of children, numerous measures are in existence in the Czech Republic, aimed at enhanced protection and preferential treatment of mother-women and father-men in labour relations.

Maternity leave

• A female employee (mother) is entitled, in relation to childbirth and care of the newborn baby, to the maternity leave for the period of 28 weeks; if the mother gave concurrent birth to two or multiple children, or, if such female employee is a lone mother, she shall be entitled to the maternity leave for the period of 37 weeks. An employed lone mother shall mean a woman who is unmarried, widowed or divorced, as well as any woman who has been lone due to another serious reason, unless she lives with a cohabitee.
• A female employee would as a rule commence her maternity leave from the beginning of the sixth week prior to the expected birth date, however no earlier than from the beginning of the eighth week before that date.
• In case a female employee has used less than six weeks of the maternity leave until childbirth because the birth occurred earlier than estimated by the physician, such female employee shall be entitled to the maternity leave from the date of her commenced leave to the end of the period set down in point 1. If a female employee has however used less than six weeks of her maternity leave until the childbirth due to different reasons she will be provided the maternity leave from the birth date only to elapsed 22 weeks, or, 31 weeks respectively in case of a female employee, gave concurrent birth to two or multiple children or a female employee who is a lone mother.
• If the child was delivered stillborn a female employee shall be entitled to the maternity leave for the period of 14 weeks.
• Maternity leave in relation to childbirth shall never be shorter than 14 weeks, while in no event it may be terminated or interrupted before the elapsed six weeks from the birth date.
• A female employee is not required to lodge any special application for the maternity leave. It will suffice is she notifies her employer on her taking up of the maternity leave, using a statutory form signed by the relevant physician.
• The time used by a female employee for her maternity leave and parental leave and time used by a male employee for his parental leave shall be, in the meaning of provisions of Sect. 127, Act No. 65/1965 Coll., Labour Code, deemed a material personal impediment to work based on which an employee's/female employee's absence from work shall be excused. While a female employee/male employee will be not entitled to any wage compensation for the period, s/he however is entitled to sickness insurance benefits pursuant to Act No. 54/1956 Coll., on sickness insurance of employees and Act No. 88/1968 Coll., on extended maternity leave, on maternity benefits and on child allowances from sickness insurance, a state social support pursuant to Act No. 117/1995 Coll., on state social support (parental allowance).
• Maternity leave and parental leave of a man provided for the period over which a woman is entitled to use maternity leave shall always be considered performance of work, also for the annual leave recognition purposes.
• If a female employee returns to her job upon termination of the maternity leave, or a male employee upon termination of the parental leave taken up for the period over which a woman is entitled to use maternity leave (28 and 37 weeks from the date of childbirth), the employer is required assign their original work and workplace to them again. If that is impossible because the work has ceased or workplace has been cancelled the employer shall assign another work to them, corresponding to their employment contract.

Parental leave

• In order to enable better care of a child, an employer is required to provide parental leave to a female employee and male employee upon their request. Parental leave is provided to the mother of the child upon termination of the maternity leave and to the father as of the child's birth date, in the scope as requested by them, however no longer than until the time when the child reaches the age of three.
• Parental leave need not be used in a one-off manner. That means, if a male employee/ female employee returns back to work within the first year of the child's life s/he may request being provided parental leave at any time up to the child's age of three.
• A female employee returning back to work after the parental leave, as well as a male employee returning to work upon termination of his parental leave in the scope equal to that of a female employee's parental leave, shall be assigned the type of work agreed in the employment contract.
• Parental leave of an employee-father in the scope equal to a mother's parental leave shall be considered a period of absence for the annual leave purposes.
• During the period of use of parental leave in the scope equal to a mother's parental leave, a female employee/male employee are not entitled to any wage compensation; however, they are entitled to the state social support benefit - parental allowance, pursuant to Act No. 117/1995 Coll., on state social support.
• If both of the parents use their parental leave concurrently, only one of them will be entitled to subsistence or benefits.

Joint provisions on maternity and parental leave

• In the period during which a female employee has been using her maternity leave, a male employee may use his parental leave.
• Parental leave may be used concurrently by both the female and male employee.
• Provisions on maternity and parental leave shall apply accordingly to entrusting the child into care substituting parental care based upon decision by the relevant body.

Time off

• An employer shall excuse absence from work of a male employee/female employee during provision of care to a sick family member and during provision of care to a child aged under ten that, for serious reasons, cannot be placed in care of a child educational facility or school in care of which such child otherwise is, or, if the person otherwise caring of the child has fallen ill or quarantine has been imposed on her/him (a quarantine measure), or, if such person has undergone a check or treatment in a health service facility that could not have been ensured outside working hours of a male employee/female employee. A male employee/ female employee shall be not entitled to any wage compensation for that period, however will be entitled to the sickness insurance benefit as stipulated by special legal provisions.
• If a female employee/male employee cannot perform work due to serious reasons affecting her/him as set out below, an employer shall provide time off to her/him in the extent of and subject to conditions set out below:
• At childbirth, time off including wage compensation shall be provided to the husband or cohabitee for the necessary period required for transfer of a wife (female cohabitee) to a health service facility, hospital and back.
• For escorting a family member to a health service facility for a check or treatment in case of sudden sickness or accident, as well as for a prescheduled check, treatment or inpatient treatment, time off including wage compensation shall be provided for the necessary required period, however up to one day at the maximum, to only one family member, and on the condition that such escort has been necessary and the involved actions could not have been performed outside working hours. If, however, an employee is entitled to the benefit for care of a family member under the sickness insurance, such employee will be not entitled to any wage compensation.
• Upon the death of a husband, cohabitee or child, time off including wage compensation shall be provided in the extent of two days and one more day to attend the funeral of the above persons.
• For attending the funeral of a parent or sibling of an employee, of a parent or sibling of her/his spouse, as well as a spouse of the employee's sibling, time off including wage compensation shall be provided in the extent of one day and one more day if such employee procures for the funeral of the above persons.
• For attending the funeral of a grandparent or grandchild of an employee or a grandparent of her/his spouse or another person who, although not belonging among the above closest relatives, lived in the household with the employee in the time of death, time off including wage compensation will be provided for the necessary required period, however for one day at the maximum and one more day if such employee procures for the funeral of the above persons.
• For one's own wedding, time off including wage compensation shall be provided for two days, out of which one day to attend the wedding ceremony. Time off including wage compensation shall be provided for one day to attend the wedding ceremony on the occasion of one's child wedding and the same scope of time off excluding wage compensation will be provided for one's parent wedding.
• The above serious personal impediments to work shall be considered work performed for the annual leave purposes.
• Furthermore, an employer may provide time off to an employee for other serious reasons, too, particularly for attending to serious personal, family and property matters that an employee is unable to attend to outside working hours. Legal provisions put no limitations on the length of such provided time off from work; it is entirely upon deliberation of the employer if it allows a request for time off by the employee and what extent of time off it provides. It is possible to agree with the employer that the employee makes up for such period of absence from work. An employer, however, has no legal obligation to enable an employee to make up for the period of absence, if not prohibited from that by serious operational reasons.
• It applies at all times that if an employee is aware of an impediment to work in advance, he or she shall request the employer in time for provision of time off from work. Otherwise, an employee shall notify an employee on an impediment and its estimated duration without undue delay. An employee is required to prove an impediment to work. If an employee is entitled to time off without wage compensation, an employer will provide an opportunity to her/him to make up for the period of absence, unless prohibited from doing so by serious operational reasons.
• In collective agreements or company's internal rules, titles of male/female employees for time off may be expanded, or, for wage compensation in excess of the above scope, or, their scope may be extended to include also additional instances qualifying a male employee/female employee to a time off title, or, to wage compensation; however, no wage compensation shall exceed the average earnings amount. Employers that do not perform any business activity are allowed to use the above solely to set down the titles for time off without wage compensation.

Working hours modifications

• An employer is required to take account, when scheduling male/female employees to shifts, also of the needs of female/male employees who care of children. That means, for example, that in case of two-shift, three-shift and continuous operation such employee may only be scheduled for the morning or afternoon shift.
• If a female employee/male employee caring of a child aged below 15, or a pregnant woman asks for reduced working hours or another suitable arrangement of the statutory working week, or, if such request is submitted by a female employee/male employee, who proves s/he has been mostly alone and caring consistently for a long time of a natural person that is prevailingly or entirely helpless, the employer is required to allow their request, unless prohibited from that by serious operational reasons; with respect to the above, an employer shall proceed in cooperation with the relevant trade union body. In doing so, an employer shall create conditions enabling meeting of such requests. The wage to which female/male employees are entitled based on the reduced working hours shall be proportionate to such reduced working hours (short-time work).
• An employer is prohibited to schedule pregnant women and women caring of a child aged below one year for any overtime work.

Flexible working hours

• In order to utilise better the working time and to satisfy personal needs of male/female employees, an employer may, subject to discussion with the relevant trade union body, apply flexible working time (flextime), with an option of introducing such schedule only at selected workplaces, or, for certain employees. When utilising the working time, an employee will by herself/himself choose the start, or, end of her/his working hours on separate days, within the limits of the time ranges provided by the employer. Between the two time limits set down by the employer a time span shall be inserted during which the employee is required to be present at her/his workplace. No legal title arises for introduction of the flexible working time.

Transfer to another job

• If a pregnant female employee or female employee-mother up to the end of the ninth month after the birth, or a breastfeeding female employee seeks a type of work that is prohibited for her or that, pursuant to the medical assessment, presents a hazard to her pregnancy or maternity, the employer is required to transfer her temporarily to a job that is suitable for her and that allows her to generate the same earnings as from her current job. If a pregnant female employee, a female employee-mother up to the end of the ninth month after the birth or a breastfeeding female employee working night hours requests a transfer to daytime work, the employer is required to allow her request.
• If such above female employee generates, without her fault, lower earnings from the job to which she has been transferred compared to her current work, she shall receive a compensation for such difference in the form of the pregnancy and maternity compensation benefit in accordance with the legal provisions on sickness insurance.

Business trips and transfer

• A pregnant female employee, a female employee/male employee caring of children aged up to eight and a lone female employee/male employee caring of a child until the child has reached the age of 15, as well as a male employee/female employee who are able to demonstrate that they have been mostly alone and caring consistently for a long time of a natural person that is prevailingly or entirely helpless, may only be sent for business trips outside the municipal constituency of their workplace or dwelling address only subject to their consent. Also, they may be transferred by the employer only upon their request.

Homeworking

• It is possible to arrange in the employment contract that an employee will not perform the work for an employer at the employer's workplace but, instead and under the terms and conditions set down by the employment contract, at home, during the working hours scheduled by an employee on his own. Employment relationships of these employees (so-called "home working employees") are governed by the provisions of the Labour Code, with the following deviations:
  • provisions on scheduling of the statutory weekly working time and on idle times shall not apply to these employees,
  • in case of serious personal impediments to work they are not entitled to any wage compensation from the employer,
  • they are entitled neither to any overtime work allowance nor days of rest and public holidays work allowance, nor to any other potential wage elements otherwise stipulated by the wage provisions.

Prohibition of certain jobs

• Women may not be engaged for works that are hazardous to their maternity, while the Ministry of Health shall issue a decree to specify jobs (work) and workplaces that are prohibited for breastfeeding women, pregnant women and mothers up to the end of the ninth month after the birth.
• Further, a pregnant woman may not be engaged for works that, according to a medical assessment, present a hazard to her pregnancy for the health reasons exclusively related to her person. This applies accordingly to a breastfeeding woman and mother up to the end of the ninth month after the birth.

Rest intervals for nursing

• The employer is required to provide, in addition to work breaks, special rest intervals for nursing to a mother who has been breastfeeding her infant.
• A mother who is scheduled for the statutory weekly working hours shall be entitled to two half-an-hour breaks per each child per shift until the end of one year of child's age and to one half-an-hour break per shift in the following three months. If such woman works for reduced working hours (short-time basis), however for at least one half of the statutory weekly working hours, she is entitled to only one half-an-hour break per each child until the end of one year of child's age.
• Rest intervals for nursing shall be calculated as part of the working hours and wage compensation is paid for the at the average earnings amount.

Termination of employment relationship

• An employer may terminate an employment relationship by notice with a pregnant female employee or with a male/female employee permanently caring of a child below the three years of age in absolutely exceptional instances only, as set out below
  • discharge by notice if an employer or a part of its business is winding up
  • discharge by notice if an employer or a part of its business is relocating
  • discharge by notice if either the above male employee/female employee or a male/female employee who has demonstrated that s/he has been mostly alone and caring consistently for a long time of a natural person that is prevailingly or entirely helpless, is conclusively sentenced for a deliberate criminal offence for imprisonment in excess of one year, or, if s/he has been conclusively sentenced for a deliberate criminal offence committed at performance of work tasks or in a direct connection with it for imprisonment for at least a six month period; or, if a male/female employee has committed a most gross breach of the work discipline (i.e. for reasons that establish grounds for the summary dismissal of a male/female employee and for instant termination of an employment relationship in general, in the meaning of the provisions of Sect. 53, Act No. 65/1965 Coll., Labour Code).

However, an employer may not terminate an employment relationship with a female employee on maternity leave or a male employee during his parental leave during the period for which such female/male is entitled to use maternity leave.

B. The following child care services exist in the Czech Republic, without limitation, in support of improved reconciling of professional and family roles:

1. Services of care of children up to three years of age

This type of services has not been particularly developed in the Czech Republic. It follows, however, from a survey undertaken by RILSA (Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic) in 2004 that supply of territorially and locally accessible services of care of children up to three years of age is not aligned to demand on the part of parents, which has been evidenced by the fact that kindergartens are attended by up to 25% of children below three years of age. The issue of providing for care of children aged up to three years v ČR has been frequently a matter of international criticism.

Two types, or, three, of child care services up to three years of age are existent in the Czech Republic. The first type includes health service facilities of the day nursery type, the other is represented by private facilities operated in accordance with Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act). The third group includes the babysitting type of services

1. Health service facilities of the day nursery type
   • during the 1990s, a considerable drop in the number of these facilities was recorded, from 1043 in 1991 to 60 facilities in 2003.
   • they are classified under so-called special children facilities of preventative treatment care, designed to care of multifaceted development of children up to three years of age
   • nurseries may be established as territorial, company or shared
   • incorporators of nurseries currently included mainly municipalities that establish them solely upon their discretion and according to the needs of their territory
   • since care provided in nurseries is covered from the incorporator's budget, it is entirely up to the incorporator to decide on the charges for attendance of children, i.e. whether the clients will be required to pay in full or partly contribute for the care
   • charges in nurseries differ distinctly. As a rule, they move between CZK 800 - 4 500 per month.
2. Private facilities pursuant to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act)
   • the trade is classified as a professional trade "Day care of a child up to three years of age"
   • the content of the trade has been specified as individual educational care of entrusted children up to three years of age on a day or weekly basis, aimed at development of intellectual and oral skills, movement, working, musical, visual art skills and personal culture and hygienic habits, adequately to the child's age. Provision for the security and health of children, their fresh air stays, for sleep in an adequate hygienic environment, personal hygiene of children, including first aid provision.
   • the charge for enrolment of a child in these facilities is determined by the provider on a commercial basis
3. Babysitting type of services pursuant to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act)
   • it is an unqualified trade "Provision of services for families and households"
   • the content of the trade has been specified as providing for operation of a household (cooking) cleaning up, washing, ironing, care of a garden and similar, individual care of children aged over three years in families, occasional short-term children babysitting (including children up to three years of age), care of persons in need of increased care, procuring for shopping and attending to other matters related to a household operation and other procurement activities.
   • the trade content does not include care of children up to three years of age in daytime operation (see above)
   • the charge for the service is determined by the provider on a commercial basis

2. Services of care of children of a pre-school age

Care of children over three years of age has been provided for through a dense network of financially affordable and widely used kindergartens in the Czech Republic. However, reconciling of professional and family roles would be suitably enhanced by better adjustment of these services to the needs of families with children (such as issues of service hours or admission requirements for children to the facilities).

The following types of the facilities exist in the Czech Republic:

1. Kindergartens established by the government, municipality, region or an association of municipalities
   • legislated pursuant to Act No. 561/2004 Coll., Education Act
   • details of conditions applicable to operation of a kindergarten, organisation of pre-school education in such facility, providing for health and safety of children, their meals and other special care of children and consideration paid for education are laid down by Decree No. 14/2005 Coll., on pre-school education
   • education in the last (leaver) form of a kindergarten established by the government region, municipality or an association of municipalities is provided free of charge
2. Kindergartens established as "private", i.e. by religious legal persons or by other legal persons, with their the scope of activities including provision of education or schooling services pursuant to the Education Act
   • legislated pursuant to Act No. 561/2004 Coll., Education Act
   • details of conditions applicable to operation of a kindergarten, organisation of pre-school education in such facility, providing for health and safety of children, their meals and other special care of children are laid down by Decree No. 14/2005 Coll., on pre-school education
   • education in this type of facilities is provided for consideration, an amount of which is determined by the incorporator
3. Private facilities operated in accordance with Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act), that do not provide recreational education activities furnished as part of education and training at schools, education pre-school and school facilities included in the network of schools
   • it is an unqualified trade "Out of school training and education"
   • the content of the trade has been specified as education of children aged over three years at pre-school facilities, schooling at private schools and facilities serving vocational training, unless they are included in the network of schools, schooling and pre-school facilities. Sundry out of school training and education, remedial education of pupils and students, education and training at children past-time camps and other recreational events, particularly management of such events, providing for educational, relaxation and training programmes for participants of the events, supervision of children etc.
   • the trade content does not include recreational education activities implemented as part of education and training at schools, education at pre-school and school facilities included in the network of schools
   • the charge for the service is determined by the provider on a commercial basis
4. Babysitting type of services pursuant to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act)
   • it is an unqualified trade "Provision of services for families and households"
   • the content of the trade has been specified as providing for operation of a household (cooking) cleaning up, washing, ironing, care of a garden and similar, individual care of children aged over three years in families, occasional short-term children babysitting (including children up to three years of age), care of persons in need of increased care, procuring for shopping and attending to other matters related to household operation and other procurement activities
   • the trade content does not include care of children up to three years of age in daytime operation (see above)
   • the charge for the service is determined by the provider on a commercial basis

3. Services of care of children of a primary school age

The group includes particularly school-based after-school care centres and clubs that also serve to assist parents of the primary school aged children to reconcile their work and family life.

Included under this category may also be the services provided along the rules of the unqualified trade "Out of school training and education", pursuant to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., to regulate trades (the Trade Act). The content of the trade has been specified as providing education to children aged over three years at pre-school facilities, schooling at private schools and facilities serving vocational training, unless they are included in the network of schools, schooling and pre-school facilities. Sundry out of school training and education, remedial education of pupils and students, education and training at children past-time camps, and other recreational events, particularly management of such events, providing for educational, relaxation and training programmes for participants of the events, supervision of children etc.

Contacts

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Family Policy and Social Work Department
Na Poříčním právu 1, 128 01 Praha 2
Tel.: 221 921 111, www.mpsv.cz, MoLSA journal

Labour Offices
Contact points of state social support
(according to the applicant's permanent residential address)

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic

Na Poříčním právu 1/376, 128 01 Praha 2
phone no.: +420-221921111, fax no.: +420-224918391
e-mail: see electronic mail room