Croatia has updated its Action Plan on Deinstitutionalisation (DI), building on the 2011-2016 Master Plan which was extended until 2018. The new 2018-2020 plan aims to continue deinstitutionalisation process for user groups who have already started and to expand to other user groups, to address differences across regions and make sure services are available to all of those in need, improving social inclusion. According to the Open doors campaign “the new Action Plan will include continuity of the care reform such as inclusion of homes, development of community-based social services and preventing new placements in the institutions in Croatia”. The new plan also expands the network of non-institutional services and the network of social service providers, improves the quality of social services, adjusts the planning of financial resources from the state budget and EU funds with priorities for DI and transformation and harmonizes legal regulations to continue the process of deinstitutionalisation and transformation in Croatia, among other issues.
While FICE Croatia, the Opening Doors for Europe’s Children campaign national coordinator in Croatia welcomes the new plan which keeps deinstitutionalisation as one of the important priorities in the national policies for children and families, they have expressed some concerns as well. One of the main issues for them is feasibility, questioning if it is realistic to expect new plan will be carried out in two years, knowing that the first one couldn`t be fully realized in eight years of implementation.
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