County authorities should improve the adoption of social plans to determine the needs for the development of social services in their respective geographical areas. This will help improve the assessment of needs which then should help in turn to further develop and expand social services, including long-term care services.

Right to access social services ✅

People’s access to social services is recognised by the Social Welfare Act.

Definition of social services ✅ 

Social Services are defined in the Social Welfare Act Article 70 as follows: “Social Services include activities aimed at recognising, preventing and solving the problems and difficulties of individuals and families and improving the quality of their life in the community.” Article 71 defines different types, such as needs assessment and care planning, psychosocial counselling, family meditation, early development support, daycare, home care, residential care, and housing.

National catalogue of social services ✅ 

The e-citizens portal lists social services in a catalogue of information on rights and services from the social welfare system.

Strategic plan for social services ✅ 

There is a general strategic plan for social services and two plans for developing specific services on poverty reduction and equal opportunities for people with disabilities. They are accompanied by action plans:

1. The National Plan for the Development of Social Services (2021-2027) and its Action Plan. 
2. The National Plan for the fight against poverty and social exclusion (2021-2027) and its Action Plan. 
3. The National Plan for Equalising Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (2021- 2027) and its Action Plan.
4. The Operational Plan for the Development of Long-Term Care is currently under development.

Responsibilities of national/ regional/ local Authorities 🤝

Financing

The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy: determines the price of social services.

Local and regional authorities fund social care activities.

Provision and planning 

The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy is responsible for setting up the criteria for social services planning for the regional offices of the Croatian Institute for Social Work and Family Centre.

Regional governments and the City of Zagreb: are responsible for setting up the criteria for the provision of social services for service providers, including private and third-sector providers.

Inspection

The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy carries out inspection and administrative control. There is no national quality agency.

Source: Finance Department within the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy / Local and regional authorities and the City of Zagreb, 2023

Workforce

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy

Long-term care (LTC) for older people

1. Number of people aged 65+: 871,870 / 22 % of the total population
2. Number of people aged 65+ supported by public LTC services: 67,036 / 7 % of the population aged 65+

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, 2022

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, 2022

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, 2022

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, 2022

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy

Long-term care (LTC) for people with disabilities (PWD)

1. People with disabilities: 657,791 / 17 % of the total population

Source: Croatian Institute of Public Health, 2022

2. People with disabilities supported by LTC: 163,412 / 25 % of all people with disabilities

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, 2022

734 people with disabilities worked in sheltered workshops (2022)

Source: Croatian Institute for Pension Insurance, 2022

Child protection services

Children in alternative care: 3,488 

*children without adequate parental care lived at specifically provided accommodation in separate residential units of homes, or apartments. 

Source: Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, 2022

Women’s support

1. Women victims of domestic violence: 8,663 / 0.4% of the female population (2023)
2. Centres for victims of domestic violence: 25
3. Available places: 370 or 17 places per 100,000 inhabitants

8,663 women victims of domestic violence or 0.4 % of the female population (2023)

25 centres for victims of domestic violence

370 available places or 17 places per 100,000 inhabitants

Source: Act on Protection from Domestic Violence in the period from 2018 to 2023

Homelessness and social housing

Statistics from 2022:

450 places in shelters were available 

Source: Plan on Taking Care of the Homeless in Extreme Winter Conditions 2023/24

1,069 people were on waiting lists for social housing 

39 social housing apartments were built 

Source: Data from local and regional authorities collected by the Ministry of Social Affairs, 2023