The presented study aimed to develop a cognitive stimulation package for 2–3-year-old children and examine the effectiveness of the product in facilitating children’s cognitive development at home. The study consisted of six phases, namely analysis, design, prototype development, formative evaluation, implementation, and summative evaluation. The analysis phase of this study involved 147 mothers and 3 experts. The participants in the formative evaluation phase consisted of 10 mothers, while the participants in the implementation and summative evaluation stages consisted of 20 mothers. The results of the experts’ and target users’ assessments suggest that the cognitive stimulation package developed in this study is valid and practical. In addition, the stimulation package has also been proven effective in facilitating the cognitive development of 2–3-year-old children at home.

The investment approach in social policy, a response to the economic, social, and demographic changes in European countries, has its unique and intriguing interpretation in the Central European context. The article’s main aim is to identify and analyze two trends in the social policy of the EU Member States, which are coherent with the paradigm of the state of social investment. The first is the reduction of institutional support, resulting in deinstitutionalization and ceding the responsibility for care services to the family. The other trend reshaping the traditional models of social policy is the marketization of social care services provided to children and older adults. Because of their historical background, the countries analyzed, Poland and the Czech Republic, adopted the social investment paradigm, creating a unique and intriguing Central European interpretation.