The governmental program Family 500+ [pl Rodzina 500+] is a relatively new instrument of social policy in Poland, aimed at supporting families. It involves monthly payment of PLN 500 for each second and subsequent child in the family. If the income per person does not exceed PLN 800, the benefit is also payable for the first child. The program it has been functioning since 2016 in the presented formula (currently it is planned to extend the support to all children, regardless of the income criterion), so it is now possible to undertake research on its short-term effects. The program is aimed at families with children under the age of 18, regardless of place of residence and social status, however, it plays a specific role in rural areas, where social problems and the family model are slightly different than in urban areas. First of all, there is a disposable income disparity in the countryside, and fertility rate is higher. Therefore, research was undertaken to indicate the effects of the 500+ Program and the opinion of its beneficiaries living in rural areas. As an example, the rural commune of Duszniki, located in the Wielkopolska Region was selected. First, the authors of the paper analyzed data from the Commune Social Welfare Center, which is the program administrator at the local level. Second, they conducted a survey on a sample of 100 parents who expressed their opinions on the functioning of the program. As a result of the research, it was noticed that in the analyzed commune a significant part of the beneficiaries use support for the first child, which indicates a fairly large poverty range. On the other hand, the surveys have shown that the funds granted help to raise children, although they do not cover the necessary expenses in full. For the most part, they are devoted to the basic needs of children, such as food, clothing and education. Also, the authors noted a dangerous phenomenon of women’s professional deactivation after the ntroduction of the program. In addition, the research pointed to the existence of a specific form of “free riding” – respondents to a small extent declared the enlargement of the family after the introduction of the program, although they believed that on a national scale it will contribute to the increase in total fertility rate.