From the nineties on, tertiary education has been subject to significant changes, for which legal bases was the Higher Education Law dated 12 September 1990 (Journal of Laws No. 65, item 385, with later amendments) which has regulated functioning of higher education institutions. Aside from existing public institutions, non-public higher education institutions have been established and developed. The Master’s system of studies has been modified by introducing two-cycle system of tertiary education enabling to continue education after receiving the Bachelor’s degree or Engineer title on second-cycle programmes, earlier referred to as supplementary Master’s studies. Within existing structures, some institutions conduct regular studies with a foreign language as a lecture language. Students have also possibility to choose an individual course of studies.

Care of children who are completely or partly deprived of care and support from a natural family may be provided by institutional or family foster care. Institutional foster care is provided by in a form of: care and education centres (types: socialization, intervention, specialist therapy, family and combining tasks of the above mentioned centres), regional care and therapy centre, intervention pre-adoptive centre. Forms of family foster care are: foster families (related, non-professional or professional) and foster homes. Day-support centre may be organized in a form of: general care, specialized, street work and in a combination of the forms.