The kindergarten is being created mainly for the children of ArcelorMittal Poland’s employees, with attendance to be co-financed from the Employee Benefit Fund. Parents of a child attending the kindergarten will pay depending on their earnings. The children of persons employed at ArcelorMittal Poland’s subsidiaries and Manpower may also be able to attend subject to availability. 

“We want our care for the employees to be reflected not only in the working condition we offer, but also in a number of additional benefits and services,” said Andrzej Wypych, HR director and BOD member at ArcelorMittal Poland. “Opening company kindergartens is our response to the initiative of the Women Council functioning at ArcelorMittal Poland. I am convinced that this is a good and a necessary move, especially that there aren’t too many facilities of that kind on the market. 90 percent of our employees who have pre-school children confirmed that they would welcome this form of child care. 

The company chose the name for the facility – The Academy of Little Ones – as part of a competition. The company has also chosen a location for the new kindergarten, a building of a former public kindergarten that will be renovated at the expense of PLN 2 mln. The location – near Central Square – has good transportation links to all locations in Kraków as well as to the plant itself.  

“As an employer we also hope that this kind of initiative will differentiate us from other employers on the market and encourage young and talented engineers to pursue a career in steelmaking,” added Wypych. 

Fundacja Nasze Dzieci (Our Children Foundation), which supervises the kindergarten in Dąbrowa Górnicza, will also be responsible for the organization of the Kraków facility. Private Aesthetic Kindergarten from Poznań, which runs ArcelorMittal Poland’s kindergarten in Dąbrowa Górnicza and Philip Morris’ kindergarten in Kraków, will also be in charge of ArcelorMittal’s facility in Kraków.