This chapter explains the arrangement of the foster care system in the Czech Republic and assistance available to caregivers, registered foster parents and foster children.

The foster care system has been promoted in recent years as an alternative to institutional care. All persons who fulfil the legal conditions are eligible for benefits.

This guide presents an overview of the following foster care benefits*:

• initial foster care grant (příspěvek při převzetí dítěte);
• foster care remuneration (odměna pěstouna);
• foster care allowance (příspěvek při pěstounské péči);
• child’s needs allowance (příspěvek na úhradu potřeb dítěte);
• recurring maintenance allowance (zaopatřovací příspěvek opakovaný);
• grant at the end of foster care (zaopatřovací příspěvek jednorázový);
• motor vehicle grant (příspěvek na zakoupení motorového vozidla).

*Due to the recent amendment to the relevant Act No. 359/1999 Coll., some terms have not yet been professionally translated, so their English equivalents listed here may not be accurate and may later be used in a different form.

In what situation can I claim?

Persons who care for a dependent child within foster care are eligible for foster care benefits.

They can be natural persons registered in the records of authorised short-term foster care providers after having completed the required assessments and training, or long-term caregivers (kinship or non-kinship foster carers, guardians or caregivers in pre-foster care  see Jargon busters).

The benefits help secure the basic prerequisites for the work of foster parents. They serve as remuneration for their work and as compensation for the costs associated with raising and caring for a child.

Different benefits are given for both categories of foster parents.

What conditions do I need to meet?

The common eligibility condition for all foster care benefits is that applicants have their residence in the Czech Republic or a residence permit according to a special regulation (i.e. Zákon o pobytu cizinců na území České republiky). The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs can waive this condition in unique cases.

The initial fostering grant is paid to long-term or short-term foster carers who have just accepted a child into permanent care.

The foster care remuneration and foster care allowance are the basic benefits that fully or partly replace the foster carer’s income from work. They are paid on a monthly basis during the period of foster care and amounts vary according to the type of care given. Only one spouse is entitled to receive benefits, but under certain conditions, both spouses can receive half of the foster benefits. The child’s needs allowance covers living needs of minor children in any type of foster care and in third-party custody (svěřenectví). Until 2027, children under 26 remain entitled as long as they are dependent (see Jargon busters) and have not applied for a recurring maintenance allowance or a grant at the end of foster care.

The recurring maintenance allowance is intended for young adults after foster care has ended. Those entitled are young adults under 26 who have been raised in foster or residence care, are still dependent and do not receive child’s needs allowance (system valid until 2027).

The grant at the end of foster care is a one-off benefit to support young adults who grew up in long- or short term foster or residential care (but not third-party custody) at the start of their adult life. To receive this grant, recipients should no longer be eligible for the child’s needs allowance or the recurring maintenance allowance.

The motor vehicle grant is intended for caregivers who have at least three children in foster care. The grant is used to finance the purchase of or to repair a motor vehicle. Registered persons (see Jargon busters) are not entitled for this benefit.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Initial foster care grant

This grant is a lump sum following a decision by the relevant authority to place the child in foster care. The amount of this grant depends on the age of the child:

Foster care remuneration

The amount is based on the minimum wage (MW), the number of children being cared for, and on the children's health conditions (i.e. no special need, or first to fourth  degree of dependence, DOD (stupeň závislosti na péči jiné osoby). This benefit is treated as income from work in terms of tax law and social and health insurance.

The minimum wage is CZK 17,300 on 1 January 2023.

Foster care renumeration for a short-time foster carer:

• 1.8x MW per 1 child without special needs or between placements;
• 2.0x MW per 1 child in I. degree of dependence;
• 2.2x MW per 1 child in II.- IV. DOD;
• + 0.3x MW per every other child in 0 to II. DOD;
• + 0.5x MW per every other child in III. to IV. DOD.

Foster care renumeration for a non-kinship long-time foster carer/guardian caregiver

• 1.0x MW per 1 child without special needs;
• 1.2x MW per 1 child in I. DOD;
• 2.0x MW per 1 child in II. to IV. DOD;
• 1.5x MW per 2 children without special needs;
• 2.0x MW per 3 children without special needs;
• + 0.5x MW per other child without special needs.

Foster care allowance

A caregiver providing kinship foster/guardian care is entitled to a foster care allowance.

The amount is based on the subsistence minimum (SM), the number of children being cared for, and on the state of the children's health conditions: no special need, or first to fourth degree of dependence, DOD (stupeň závislosti na péči jiné osoby). It depends also on the relation of the caregiver to the child in care. This benefit is not treated as income in terms of tax law and social and health insurance.

The subsistence minimum is 4,860 CZK/month for a single person on 1 January 2023.

A kinship foster caregiver

• 2.3x SM per child without special needs or in I.DOD;
• 5.5x SM per child in II.-IV. DOD.

A kinship foster caregiver if the care is provided by grandparents of the child due to subsidiary maintenance obligation

• 1.8x SM per child without special needs or in I.DOD;
• 5.5x SM per child in II.-IV. DOD.

Child needs allowance

This is a regular monthly allowance that increases with the child's age:

• CZK 6,290 for children under the age of 6;
• CZK 7,750 for children aged 6-12;
• CZK 8,870 for children aged 12-18;
• CZK 9,220 for dependent children aged 18-26.

Payment is increased for children dependent on the care of another person (with a disability).

Motor vehicle grant

This grant equals 70% of the cost to purchase or completely repair a motor vehicle. The grant is capped at a total of CZK 100,000. The applicant is only reimbursed CZK 100,000 if 70% of the cost is higher than this maximum amount.

The grant is one-off support but can be drawn repeatedly. The eligibility condition is that the total amount provided through this grant cannot exceed CZK 200,000 over the previous 10 years.

The vehicle co-financed by the foster parent from the grant cannot be used for work purposes.

Where and how to apply

Applications for any foster care benefits can be filed in writing (by sending a printed and completed form) or in person at the Labour Office's regional offices and contact points.

They can also be filed electronically through the Integrated Portal of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Up to one year of benefits can be applied for retroactively.

Jargon busters

• A person in the records (osoba v evidenci) is a natural person registered in the list of authorised short-term foster care providers after they have completed the required assessments and training.
• A caregiver (osoba pečující) is the person responsible for raising a child other than the child’s parents. Such person may be:
  • a non-kinship foster carer (zprostředkovaný pěstoun);
  • the former non-kinship foster carer of a dependent child under 26;
  • a kinship foster/guardian carer (nezprostředkovaný (příbuzenský) pěstoun);
  • a caregiver in pre-foster care (osoba poskytující předpěstounskou péči);
• The degree of dependency (stupeň závislosti) reflects the severity of a disability and influences eligibility for the foster parent allowance. This degree is defined based on the child's independent ability to secure their basic living needs. Four different degrees are identified.
• A dependent child (nezaopatřené dítě) is a child up to the age of 26 who is unable to provide for their own subsistence due to age, study or health.
• Third party custody is a form of substitute family care, ordered by a court in cases where neither the parent nor the guardian can personally care for the child. Unless the court decides otherwise, parental responsibility for the child remains with the parents and the parents remain the child's legal guardians. Entrusting the child to the personal care of the caring person takes precedence over caring for the child in institutional care.

Forms you may need

• Application for foster care benefits (Žádosti o dávky pěstounské péče), this website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs contains the forms needed for all types of benefits (in Czech).

Know your rights

These links do not lead to European Commission websites and do not represent the views of the European Commission:

• Foster care benefits and maintenance allowances (Dávky pěstounské péče a zaopatřovací příspěvky) (in Czech);
• Foster care in the Czech Republic (Pěstounská péče) (in Czech).

Please make use of EU assistance services if you experience any problems in applying your rights:

• Family benefits: your rights in the EU

Useful contacts

Labour Office of the Czech Republic (Úřad práce České republiky)
Contact counselling centre:
Tel. +420 844844803
kontaktni.centrum@mpsv.cz, callcentrum@mpsv.cz

List of the Labour Office's regional offices and contact points (in Czech): https://www.uradprace.cz/web/cz/kontakty-2

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí ČR)
Na Poříčním právu 1/376
128 01 Prague 2
CZECH REPUBLIC
Tel. +420 221921111
Data box: sc9aavg

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