Description
In Poland social welfare centers do not provide their clients with access to financial education. The project aims to counteract social exclusion by developing a new form of support for families in difficult financial situation, based on cooperation between the family and financial educator. The purpose of the cooperation is defined as a financial recovery plan for the family - drafted and implemented by the family with educator's support and expertise. Educator's role will include technical supervision in course of the change process. At each stage of the project, the family takes decisions about the form of support and the results to be achieved. At each stage, financial educator - with all respect for the dignity and experience of family members - will try to activate and support the family, highlighting the ways out of a difficult situation. The key point is to involve all members of the household in the project so that everyone feels that he /she has impact and is co-responsible for making the change happen. The change experience is the long-term result of the project. Project will benefit at least 144 families from Mazovian vovivodeship.
Summary of project results
"Managing household budget in families endangered by exclusion is often tainted by shortages in financial resources, no willingness to earn or rationally spend them, or to plan and economise, which directly translates into poor economic stability of households, leading to their marginalisation. The offer of support centres and many organisations working with families fails to include activities focused on financial education helping to change the existing patterns of economic behaviours. The aim of the project was to broaden the offer of social assistance centres and organisations working with families with a new form of support for families in difficult financial situation through cooperation between families and financial educators. As a result of the activities undertaken under the project, 24 social assistance institutions and 19 non-governmental organisations broadened their offer to include financial education of families. 89 educators were trained (65 employees of 22 social assistance centres, 3 workers from 2 County Assistance Centres for Families, 21 workers from 19 non-governmental organisations) and prepared to work with families endangered by social exclusion. The aim of the cooperation between educators and families was to prepare improvement plans for family finances - the plans were developed and implemented by families using the support and the expertise of educators whose role was also to supervise the process of change. The crucial task was to engage in the work all household members, so that each of them have the feeling that he or she has a voice and is co-responsible for the change of situation. As a result of the project, 144 families enhanced their financial awareness, and 111 families practically implemented improvement plans and permanently changed their situation. Beneficiaries of the project were 144 families."
Summary of bilateral results