The Demography Ministry has prepared a new bill on foster parenting which is likely to receive a second reading in the Parliament in October, and come into force in early 2019, Minister Nada Murganic said in Zagreb on Tuesday during the launch of the Every Child Needs a Family campaign.

Murganic said that according to her ministry’s statistics there is currently in Croatia 2,259 foster children being cared for by 1,202 foster families. In addition, 814 children without adequate parental care are in the care of state institutions, including 90 under the age of three.

The new legislation, aimed at encouraging foster parenthood, is designed to raise the number of foster parents and promote foster care for children with special needs.

The bill will also treat foster care as an occupation, meaning that foster parents will get an allowance from the government. For that purpose, 15.5 million kuna (€2 million) will be earmarked in the state budget.

The range of monthly wages paid out to foster parents will be from 2,500 kuna (€337) to 6,500 kuna (€877) with the higher amounts granted to foster parents who care for children with special needs.

The Ministry of Demography and UNICEF, in cooperation with a civil society association that networks foster parent organisations in Croatia, promoted the launch of the Every Child Needs a Family campaign, designed to encourage foster parenting.

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