One of the main tasks faced by people working with children in foster care and their biological families is to prepare the child and family for reintegration and independent living. Meanwhile, current support for people in the process of becoming independent practically does not include developing the ability to properly manage resources. The answer to the social policy problem defined in this way is the support planned in the “Financially empowered” project, the main idea of ​​which is to equip people working for children in foster care with basic knowledge and competences in the field of economics and finance.

The starting point for this project was to conduct an analysis of socio-economic problems related to this issue, which was based on the criteria:

1. the social importance of the identified problems,
2. their economic importance,
3. the degree of intensity of actions to solve identified problems.

To conduct this study, methods of political and administrative sciences were used, including a prospective analysis of challenges for social policy. The experts and research and teaching staff of UEK involved in the project used: analysis of existing data, including an assessment of current scientific achievements in the field of social policy and foster care, a review of applied regulatory solutions and the identification of good practices. For the purposes of the study, the results of direct interviews conducted with wards and family members supported by regional and district family support centers as well as practical experience gained during research on the functioning of foster care and the improvement of local public policies in this area were also used.

The analyses developed as part of the study contribute to the debate on the shape of national, regional and local social policy in the area of ​​foster care. The analyzes carried out showed that foster care should be one of the key areas of activity of universities, especially those with an economic profile, as part of their third mission. Economic universities have the competence to develop economic competences, which are so important for the financial independence of students. The deficiencies of these competencies constitute one of the most significant barriers to the effective and efficient provision of foster care, which also translates into the effects of national social policy in this area. The essence of the project was to use the scientific potential of CUE employees to build the economic competences of guardians involved in the process of becoming independent of pupils in foster care. An additional value of the implemented project was the development of methods stimulating the development of Polish universities at the level of the third mission of the university.

Team members: dr Adrian Solek (Assistant Professor), dr Piotr Klimczyk (Assistant Professor), dr Jakub Głowacki (Assistant Professor), dr Norbert Laurisz (Assistant Professor), dr Bianka Godlewska-Dzioboń (Assistant Professor)