Mrs. Miroslawa Katna Chairman Children Rights Committee of Poland

Miroslawa Katna is the Chairman of the National Committee for the Protection of Children’s Rights. A psychologist, she graduated from the University of Warsaw having majored in forensic psychology, juvenile delinquency and clinical psychology.

Miroslawa has worked in childcare centres for difficult youth for over 10 years. She is a former government commissioner for children’s affairs, and so far the only person in Poland’s history to have served as Minister for Children.

She was involved in creating the Committee for the Protection of Children’s Rights in 1981 and served as Vice-Chairman for many years. She has also served three terms as National Chairman of the Committee.

Miroslawa has managed the intervention centre of the CPCR for many years, and has set up SOS for Children, a nationwide network of child assistance centres.
In 1991, she helped to create the Nobody’s Children Foundation with which she has worked for 10 years.

In 1996, she set up POCIECHA (“THE KID”), the first Community Centre for Child and Family Support in the Warsaw commune of Bialoleka

She was the director of the Communal Sobriety Centre from 1998 to 2001

In 1999, the Sejm (lower house of parliament) of the Republic of Poland endorsed Miroslawa as the Commissioner for the Rights of the Child. The Senate refused to ratify her candidature on non substantive grounds.

She served as an MP in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland from 2001 to 2005. During this time she worked for the Commission for Social Policy and Family, and the National Education Commission, and also set up a permanent sub-commission for children and youth.

Miroslawa has been working for the CPCR ever since its inception. For many years, she was its resident expert on children, youth and family and submitted feature articles on children and family to numerous women’s magazines.

She helps to set up and conduct training programs on domestic violence and violence among peers for teachers, educationalists, probation officers, police and social workers.
Miroslawa has been awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
She has received the Statuette of the Ordinary Extraordinary (Zwyczajni Niezwyczajni) from TVP S.A. (Polish Television).

She has also been decorated with the Open Heart Order by the Open Hearts Chapter.
Miroslawa has been given the title of Friend of Children and been awarded the Jordan Medal by the Society of the Friends of Children.

She was made a Knight of the Order of Smile in 2000.