There are more than 7000 parent caregivers in Croatia who care for children with developmental disabilities or adults with disabilities, which is 3,000 more than three years ago. They warn that this is a status without security and adequate support, and the work is all-day, exhausting and without respite.
According to data from the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, in April 2025, 7009 people used the right to the status of parent caregiver or caregiver, of which 6067 were parents, and in April 2022, 4294 parents used the status, which represents an increase of as much as 41,2 percent.
Most often, these are mothers, and their daily routine includes all-day care, from feeding and changing to performing medical procedures at home. The law recognizes their status as a parent caregiver, but many wonder whether this is real recognition or just a formal status that is not accompanied by adequate support.
The right to status is regulated by the Social Welfare Act, and applies to those parents whose children have such health impairments that they are completely dependent on other people's help, whether due to the need for specific care to sustain life, inability to move, or fourth-degree autism.
Caring parents thus acquire the status of an employed person, which includes compensation, pension and health insurance rights, and unemployment rights. At the same time, they cannot be employed by another employer, but they can receive other income, if this is in line with the purpose of the status.
The parental care allowance has been increased over the past five years, from 2500 kuna in 2020 to three levels of allowance, currently ranging from 750 euros for parents of children using community services to 1125 euros for those caring for two or more children with multiple disabilities and without the possibility of inclusion in support systems. The Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy also announces further alignment with fiscal possibilities.
"I even think that the state has given me the opportunity to take care of my child, because I would definitely have to quit my job," says Dženita Lazarević, president of the Association for Counseling, Education and Assistance to Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities "Special Friend".
However, as the Institute points out, the process is complex. In addition to requesting an expert opinion on the state of health, it is necessary to establish that there are no obstacles prescribed by law, neither on the part of the child nor the parents. In practice, this means the collection of a large number of documents, long waiting lists for specialists and uneven practice among regional offices.
Between formal recognition and everyday exhaustion
Despite the legal framework, caring parents often remain without adequate support. The Ombudsman for Persons with Disabilities, Darijo Jurišić, warns that they continue to face a number of systemic obstacles. These include lengthy procedures, inconsistent practices of regional offices of the Croatian Institute for Social Work, a lack of community services, and poor coordination between the health, education, and social welfare systems.
"Although the law formally provides rights, the lack of comprehensive support leads to social exclusion and a deterioration in the family's position," Jurišić points out.
The president of the association explains that foster parents most often join together because they feel a lack of support, administrative overload and isolation.
For years, the Ombudsman has been sending recommendations to the Ministry for changes to legal provisions that prevent parents from achieving status due to offenses unrelated to care, and proposes including their representatives in working groups and public discussions.
Another vulnerability is particularly alarming, he emphasizes, and that is the loss of status due to a criminal record, even though the crime is not related to the quality of care. In practice, this means that a parent who is convicted, for example, for a misdemeanor in 2021 loses status even though they continue to care for their child with the same care. The Ombudsman warns that this punishes children for their parents' actions, even though they themselves are unprotected and without choice.
The gender dimension further complicates the picture, as the majority of parent caregivers are women, which the Ombudsman describes as a result of "structural, cultural and economic imbalances." Although the law does not discriminate against fathers, in practice they are rarely beneficiaries of this status, and institutions and the media almost never portray them as caregivers.
System - support that (doesn't) arrive
The ministry emphasizes that the primary purpose of the status is to ensure that the child remains in the family, instead of institutionalization. In addition to the right to compensation, parents can use up to four weeks of vacation per year and sick leave of up to two months, and then the right to temporary placement of the child may be recognized.
The National Plan for the Development of Social Services for the period 2021-2027 includes the "Break from Care" measure, and in April 2025, 35 contracts were signed as part of a pilot project worth a total of five million euros. The goal is to temporarily relieve parents and develop innovative forms of support. The Poseban prijatelj association from Dubrovnik won the tender for the implementation of this project.
"This means that we will be able to provide real help to parents from our community. This project represents an important first step towards the long-term goal that every parent caregiver in Croatia has the right and opportunity to take at least a few days off per year, without fear that the child will not be adequately cared for," explains Lazarević.
The Ombudsman welcomes this step forward, but also warns that parent carers are still not systematically represented in national strategies. They are mostly mentioned indirectly, without specific measures or analysis of their needs. Jurišić suggests including their representatives in working groups and decision-making processes.
"For me, real support would mean that the parent caregiver is not left to their own devices. That they know who they can contact, that they have the right to respite, help and understanding," Lazarević points out.
"This means that there are clear and equal rules. Parents must have the opportunity to take a break or substitute care whenever necessary, whether for health reasons, vacation or simply to take a break," he explains.
Foster parents are not seeking privileges, but recognition of their invisible everyday life and an equal position in society. According to the Ombudsman, the system should provide them with dignity, security and support, through a clearly defined status, the right to rest, education, psychosocial support and the opportunity to be included in the community.
Continuous psychological support, individual and group counseling, is also needed, which includes support for siblings of children with disabilities who often experience peer violence, as well as family empowerment programs, says Lazarević, noting that "two-thirds of families of children with disabilities fall apart under the burden they carry."
There are three key proposals that the parents' association is proposing to improve the position of parent caregivers. They include the introduction of a Rulebook and systematic substitute care during holidays or crises, the development of ongoing psychosocial support for the entire family, and the involvement of the community through cooperation with educational institutions and the creation of a network of concrete assistance.
"I believe that the development of the Ordinance in collaboration with parents, experts and associations would bring real and sustainable changes. It is not just an administrative document, but a path towards a more transparent, humane and efficient support system for families of children with disabilities," says the president of the Poseban prijatelj association.
Mladenka Tomic.
Photo: Hina
