Prague districts step in to help low-income families prepare kids for school

Several Prague district authorities have launched support programmes for families struggling to afford school supplies, after-school clubs and lunches ahead of the new school year. Assistance comes in various forms — from cash benefits to collections of second-hand backpacks and clothing that are then handed out to families in need.

In Prague 2, families facing financial hardship and single parents can turn to the town hall for support through the charitable fund “Dvojka srdcem” (“Prague 2 with Heart”). According to Deputy Mayor Lucie Pecháčková (ODS), the fund covers costs such as children’s camps, school supplies, extracurricular clubs, lunches, and even crisis psychological support for children. Staff from the district’s social and school departments work together with local schools to identify families in need and refer them to the relevant non-profit organisations.

Prague 3 takes a different approach, supporting families indirectly through subsidy programmes for local organisations and clubs, which helps keep prices lower for extracurricular activities, summer city camps and other children’s events. Deputy Mayor for Education Filip Malec (Praha 3 Sobě) explained that schools in the district use the “Obědy pro děti” (“Lunches for Children”) programme run by the organisation W4W to cover the cost of school lunches for families in need, while the city hall’s “Balíček Pražana” programme helps pay for after-school clubs, kindergartens, nature trips, ski camps and school excursions.

For the eighth year running, Prague 6 is holding its “Pošli aktovku dál” (“Pass the Backpack On”) campaign — before the school year begins, residents can drop off backpacks and school supplies at the town hall, which are then given free of charge to families with children. According to the district administration, 221 backpacks were distributed last year.

In Prague 7, besides collecting school supplies, families with children can access grants for after-school clubs, a special “lunch account” for children from low-income households, and an emergency assistance fund that can cover costs such as school supplies, nature trips or adaptation courses. In addition, social pedagogues working in the district’s kindergartens and schools help identify families who need support.

Prague 8’s town hall will organise a school supplies exchange — including clothing and sports equipment — from 18 to 21 August, giving parents the chance to pick up items they need while donating those their children have outgrown. The event will take place at the Libre community centre on Pivovarnická Street.

Prague 10, together with the Diaconia of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, will provide children with school supplies and also supports organisations running extracurricular clubs through subsidies. Prague 11 is organising a school supplies collection, and some local schools draw on a social fund that can, for example, cover the cost of nature trips. The Prague city hall also prepares school supply packages for first-graders every year.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by prazsky.denik.cz