The children's ombudswoman and the B.a.B.e. and LET NGOs welcome the changes proposed in a new temporary maintenance bill, as they address some issues that were problematic in the implementation of the previous law, but they believe there is room for further improvement.

Temporary maintenance for children whose parents do not pay alimony has been a legal option since 2014, and the goal of the new legislative solutions is to improve the material security of children.

Labor and Social Policy Minister Marin Piletić has said there are currently 1,470 children receiving temporary maintenance, while according to Financial Agency data, more than 10,000 citizens have their bank accounts frozen for not paying alimony. He announced the state will take action against non-payers through the new law.

Although the legislative changes are being presented to the public as a so-called alimony fund through which the state will pay this compensation, the Office of the Children’s Ombudswoman and the B.a.B.e. and LET nongovernmental organisations have told Hina that the institute of temporary maintenance has existed for many years in the Croatian legal system.

However, it has not proven effective in practice due to various assumptions for using this financial support. Therefore, they welcome some positive changes to be brought by the new law, saying they will contribute to better protection of children’s interests.

The NGOs primarily support the doubling of the amount of temporary maintenance from 50 to 100 percent of the legal minimum maintenance. The monthly allowance is now around €100 euros and it will increase to €225.