For young people growing up in foster care, the transition to adulthood can bring financial and practical challenges at a time when they are expected to begin building an independent life. A new program launched by Caritas Poland is designed to help them take that step with greater confidence and better opportunities.
The “Bridges” program, launched in November 2025, provides financial support to young people preparing to leave care and educational facilities run by diocesan Caritas organizations. Its aim is to help them overcome some of the financial barriers associated with education, professional training and becoming independent.
The first edition of the program, completed in June 2026, supported 31 young people from nine facilities. Participants had to be at least 17 years old and remain in their facility until the end of the program. Each scholarship recipient received PLN 9,500 (approximately EUR 2,200), which could be used for educational and vocational purposes, including driving lessons and professional courses.
Creating a family environment
Caritas Poland runs family-type foster care facilities and homes for children who cannot grow up with their biological parents. The initiative is also intended to address the shortage of traditional foster families.
Among the facilities operated by Caritas Poland are the Caritas Holy Family Children’s Home in Leszno, established in 2009; the Caritas Family Home in Złotniki, which opened in 2025; and the Caritas Family Home in Kobylniki, opened in 2026.
These family-type facilities generally care for no more than eight children, although larger groups may be accommodated when siblings are placed together. The small size of the homes is intended to create a close, family-like environment in which children can receive more individual attention and support.
For Caritas, however, providing a safe home is only one part of the challenge. Young people also need support when they begin preparing to leave care and build lives of their own.
Helping young people take the next step
Research and consultations carried out two years ago highlighted the need for greater support for young people in foster care as they move toward independence and pursue education. According to Caritas Poland, these areas remain among the most significant gaps in the existing support system.
The “Bridges” scholarship was created as a practical response to those needs. By providing funds that young people can use according to their individual circumstances, the program seeks to remove some of the financial obstacles that can stand in the way of further education or professional development.
The experience of the first edition also points to an impact beyond the financial assistance itself. Eighty-two percent of scholarship recipients said that the support had strengthened their self-esteem and self-confidence.
The scholarships were most frequently used to purchase electronic equipment, pay for tutoring and take vocational courses. Driving lessons were also among the most common choices, reflecting the practical importance of mobility and professional qualifications for young people preparing to enter the labour market.
A bridge to independent adulthood
For young people leaving foster care, independence often means making several major decisions at once — about education, employment, housing and financial stability. The “Bridges” program is intended to provide additional resources at precisely this stage.
Caritas Poland plans to continue the program in the coming years, with the aim of giving more young people leaving care access to educational and professional opportunities and helping them make the transition to independent adulthood.
The name of the program reflects that purpose: building a bridge between life in care and the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life.
Photo: florendia, pixabay.com
By Family News Service / Piotr Kowalczuk