Poland is a post-communist country rooted in the idea of a nanny state. Although the state is still highly involved in social policy, the social and constitutional transformation that began in 1989 led to many changes which in turn influenced the functioning of an individual and family life. Numerous reforms have gradually changed the shape of the family welfare system as well as the method of providing care for children from problem families. The main goal of the article is to present the role of family assistantship as a new solution in work with families facing difficulties in daily life. However, a question arises of whether, despite an innovative approach to work with families, assistantship does bring the expected results or do barriers caused by historical background hinder it? It seems that family assistantship definitely helps to improve the functioning of families; nevertheless it still encounters many barriers that hinder the practical implementation of the concept. Information presented in this article has been based on Polish publications pertaining to family assistantship as well as research and reports from abroad.