May 27, 2021 - The sixth article in the "Friends of Croatia: UNICEF" series explores the work of the UNICEF Office for Croatia. What is done regarding children's rights in Croatia, positives, and negatives, and how can you help if you want to?

To ensure that our world even stays the same, let alone improves, new generations are essential. But, before they grow old enough to participate in society, society must first take care of the youngest ones to grow and develop. Society must ensure for kids that they grow up in families filled with love, make sure that kids can go to school, that they are healthy, safe from violence, that they are not hungry or thirsty, and give them overall opportunity to make it in the world. 

Basically, children have rights, and they are in more detail elaborated in 54 articles. For more details, have a look at the Convention on the Rights of the Child that came to power on September 2, 1990, by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

Regina M. Castillo, UNICEF office for Croatia representative with children with disabilities in Centre Tomislav Špoljar in Varaždin © Marin Ilej/UNICEF

The UN is dedicated to seeing this Convention is being respected, and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, commonly known as UNICEF, specializes in the issues of children's rights. Established in the aftermath of World War II, UNICEF has been at the frontlines of humanitarian crises, armed conflict, and natural disasters.

„Undeterred by the scale of the crises, we rise to the challenge, reimagine what is possible and respond by helping millions of children survive and thrive. Our on-the-ground expertise has reached more than 191 countries and territories, through committed partnerships and a passion for innovation“, says UNICEF on its official website.

Croatia signed and agreed with the Convention, and UNICEF today has its own office in Zagreb. Furthermore, it's worth noting that UNICEF has existed for 75 years, and despite firstly coming to Croatian territory while the country was part of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, UNICEF has been with Croatia since the organization was established.

„Many people do not know that UNICEF helped to eradicate malaria in Croatia and that UNICEF played a key role in the development of modern dairy. Dairies were built in Zagreb, Rijeka, and Split, and factories for the production of powder milk in Osijek and Županja. Milk was distributed in schools, and for many children, it was their only meal during the day“, says Regina M. Castillo, UNICEF Office for Croatia representative.

Regina M. Castillo, UNICEF office for Croatia representative © Marin Ilej/UNICEF

The UNICEF representative is elected for a five-year mandate, and Regina M. Castillo came to her function in Croatia in 2019. Her career in the UN started in 2001 and was in charge of economic and social questions in the Executive Office of the UN chief secretary Kofi Annan in New York. This was followed by Castilla moving to work in the mutual program for HIV/AIDS, known as UNAIDS. She was first the director of private sector partnerships in Geneva (2006-2012) and then moved to be the director for Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru (2012-2015). She majored in International relations and public politics.

Born in Nicaragua, she first started her career in the 1990s as a diplomat, and she was also the headmistress for international trade in the Nicaraguan Trading Ministry.  

Helping Croatia before it was cool (or an independent country)

Castillo went on to continue that after World War 2, UNICEF fed six million children every day, which included many children in Croatia.

„One of those children was our dear colleague, prof. Josip Grgurić, who is still working tirelessly for the youngest. He still remembers the yellow cheese that was part of UNICEF's humanitarian package for families, as well as the chocolate that he then tasted for the first time. He later worked at the children's hospital in Klaićeva, which UNICEF helped found, and he still works hard on UNICEF’s Child-Friendly Hospital Initiative“, says Castillo indicating how valuable but also inspiring UNICEF can be to children. Castillo added that in the Homeland War, UNICEF was the first organization on the ground, making sure that children and families received the necessary psychosocial support and humanitarian packages. After the war, they educated children on how to protect themselves from landmines. 

Today Croatia developed, joined NATO and EU, and is a modern European country. With such progress, there have been many improvements in respect to children and their rights.

„Croatia has a low mortality rate of children under the age of five, extremely low stunted growth rate due to inadequate nutrition in the first years of life and the enrolment rate of children in primary school is almost 100 per cent“, pointed out Castillo.

„Croatia is an example in the world when it comes to the promotion of breastfeeding. It is rare that all public maternity wards in a country have the status of 'Child-Friendly Hospital'. With the support of UNICEF, partners have organized a network of breastfeeding support groups, and now we have more than 200 support groups in Croatia“, added Castillo on what the world can look up to this small South-Eastern European country.

Regina M. Castillo at Human milk bank © Marin Ilej/UNICEF 

Still, there are some issues Croatia needs to address and are far from ideal at the moment.

„There are still differences when it comes to access to services for children, depending on where they live and the conditions in which they grow up. Children with disabilities, as well as children from the poorest families, especially in rural areas, often do not have the opportunity to attend kindergarten and do not have the same access to specialized health services and therapies as children in urban areas. The focus of UNICEF in Croatia is on the most marginalized children: children with disabilities or developmental delays, children growing up without adequate parental care, children from minority groups, children at the risk of poverty and exclusion. UNICEF’s programs are focused on the well-being and protection of every child, with a special focus on the most vulnerable children“, pointed out Castillo.

Campaigns and programmes such as “Every child needs a family”, “The first three are the most important”, and “Stop violence among children” are perhaps the most known public action by UNICEF in Croatia, but returning to the good practices of breastfeeding, Castillo emphasizes the establishment of the Human Milk Bank in her current mandate.

„Thanks to the Human Milk Bank, prematurely born and seriously ill newborns (who do not have access to their own mother's milk) can receive milk donated by other mothers. We continually work on reducing the risk of disasters, support the development of quality foster care and provide support to parents in the upbringing and care of children through workshops and we work a lot with young people“, said Castillo.

In general, UNICEF has different types of offices in countries, and regarding the Croatian office, it’s a Country Office. In other words, most of the resources (human and financial) are invested in programs in Croatia. Castillo says that the five-year mandates have priorities that are determined in cooperation with partners. And while 80 percent of the funds raised are invested in programs for girls and boys in Croatia, there are funds and support programs for children outside of the country.

“For example, in 2018, UNICEF supported child health care in parts of Ukraine affected by the conflict and helped the building of five inclusive children's playgrounds in two refugee camps in Jordan in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in 2019. Through the ‘Schools for Africa’ program ​​, which includes many kindergartens and schools throughout Croatia, UNICEF supports the education of girls and boys in Madagascar", Castillo listed several examples. 

Regina M. Castillo, UNICEF office for Croatia representative with children on Media Literacy days press conference with Radovan Fuchs Minister of Science and Education, Krešimir Partl, State Secretary at Ministry of culture and media and Robert Tomljenović, Deputy Director of the Council for Electronic Media © Marin Ilej/UNICEF 

Overall, the UNICEF Office for Croatia works closely with the Croatian Government, and most notably, with the Ministries of Social Welfare, Education, Health, and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Other partners also include experts (Croatian experts, but also building on expertise and good practice from all over the world), professional associations, academia, services providers, and NGOs.

“UNICEF’s goal is to connect all stakeholders and to advocate and support systemic change for the well-being of all children. System change is a gradual process, and it can be challenging, but when it comes to children’s rights, every step forward is well worth the effort”, explained Castillo.

Croatian citizens showing support for UNICEF

On one hand, Croatia is a good country with low mortality rates of kids and a role model for breastfeeding promotions. On the other hand, however, peer to peer violence (on whose suppression the aforementioned “Stop violence among children“ campaign works heavily on), and unequal approach to education between rural and urban areas show Croatia has both its ups and downs. Unfortunately. The downside sometimes overshadows all the positive things.

One such instance was the tragic death of a two-year-old girl from Nova Gradiška on Easter Sunday. The death of a severely injured girl, who was brought to Zagreb's children's hospital after suffering abuse and heavy beating from her biological parents (and from whom the girl was taken and given to a foster family but was then returned back to biological parents), sparked controversy and citizens outrage, culminating in changes in social welfare law, as well as sacks and investigations in the welfare center in Nova Gradiška.  

„We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of two-and-a-half-year-old Nikoll on Easter Sunday. There are no words to express the pain of such a terrible event. Unfortunately, there are no simple and quick solutions to prevent violence against children. For years, UNICEF in Croatia has been continuously and persistently working in the field of child protection, educating experts from the social welfare system, but also other experts who work with children and families, such as experts from the health care, education, and justice systems. UNICEF implements various support programs for parents, and it is fully committed to the development of foster care and the improvement of the legislative framework. However, UNICEF is also aware that society as a whole, has a long way to go to achieve the goal that every girl and every boy is guaranteed the best possible care and protection. UNICEF will continue to work actively, persistently, and dedicatedly with all partners to achieve it”, commented Castillo.

Regina M. Castillo talking on Media Literacy days press conference © Marin Ilej/UNICEF 

However, Croatians recognize the importance of the UNICEF mission. Before Covid, UNICEF annually collaborated with the Museum of Illusions on the Museum of Reality exhibition which displayed the problems children faced worldwide, but which also showed what changes and solutions UNICEF brought to those areas. 

“Experience tells us that citizens are ready to support the youngest, in Croatia and beyond. Implementation of our programs would not be possible without the support from citizens and companies that placed the focus of their CSR activities precisely on children. We especially value the support from our Childhood Guardians, donors who support our work with regular monthly donations and allow us to regularly conduct our programs for boys and girls, as well as react quickly with much-needed assistance in crisis situations like the earthquakes in Croatia and the COVID-19 pandemic that affected all families. UNICEF is always in the field with the most vulnerable children and their families”, notes Castillo.

In the end is important to note, that while children are recognised as a particularly vulnerable group, all human rights apply equally to children. 

“All the rights enshrined in the Convention apply to every child, regardless of a child’s country of origin, gender, religion, and nationality. Every child, by birth, has all his/her rights, the right to grow up in a safe environment, to have a family, to have access to health care and education, to be able to play and develop his/her interests and reach his/her full potential”, concludes Castillo.

The five-year mandate is an agreement that sets priorities in advance, so Castillo warned that there is no opportunity for making donations outside of that framework. UNICEF office occasionally does get messages from citizens who need advice or help on issues outside of that frame, but nevertheless, UNICEF can offer them help by referring them to institutions and addresses that can offer citizens the necessary support, financial support, or information. 

With expertise mentioned several times throughout this story as the insurance of delivering the best solutions to issues children face, UNICEF is always on the lookout for new people. If you want to make a change in the world while earning a fair wage yourself, check out what expertise UNICEF is looking for right now.

Regina M. Castillo on a foster family gathering © Marin Ilej/UNICEF 

UNICEF Croatian Office is situated on Radnička cesta 41/7. To inform the public of their work, they built a considerable presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Linkedin. You can also find all UNICEF-related info for Croatia on their official website, and contact them via mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on phone numbers: +385 1 2442 660 and +385 1 2442 661. You can use the website to donate to a cause in Croatia too. Additionally, there are numbers: +385 1 4095 855, +385 99 2692 196, and +385 91 621 1039 for more details on donating to Croatia as well as e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also leave a donation to UNICEF in your will, and a phone number +385 1 3031 640 specializes for the issue in Croatia. If you find yourself in Croatia and you want to volunteer for UNICEF, more info can be found by sending a mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on phone number +385 1 3031 646.

And of course, you can donate for a good cause to UNICEF for any action the fund is internationally involved in. 

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For more about UNICEF in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 31 January, 2021 - Over 13,000 children have been affected by the consequences of the 29 December earthquake in Sisak-Moslavina County and those affected the most are children who have been left without a roof over their heads and who were growing up in poverty before the quake, Croatia's children's ombudswoman said.

Experts note that problems to be expected in children who have experienced such a traumatic event include sleep disorders, problems with appetite and strong emotional reactions such as sadness, anger or fear, which manifest themselves depending on the child's age, Ombudswoman Helenca Pirnat-Dragičević, who has visited the earthquake-hit area several times, said in an interview with Hina.

Pirnat-Dragičević said that around 70,000 people, including 13,000 children, had been directly affected by the 6.2 magnitude earthquake which claimed seven lives and caused extensive material damage.

She noted that according to information from the Red Cross, the number of children staying in temporary accommodation was varying on a weekly basis as families were returning to the area close to their homes - to stay in mobile housing units or with their relatives.

She said that she did not have complete data on the number of children who have left the earthquake-hit area, but was aware that many families had found accommodation in the regions of Istria and Primorje, staying with their relatives or friends, and that some had left for other countries.

Pirnat-Dragičević said the most affected were children left without a roof over their heads as well as those who had been growing up in poverty before the earthquake and children in need of special care due to developmental problems or disease.

She said that experts in mental health had prepared ample material for parents with information on what kind of responses can be expected in children who have experienced an earthquake and live in the time of a pandemic and information on how to help them cope.

Parents have also been instructed when to seek professional help and both they and children have been given phone numbers which they can contact for advice on mental health issues, Pirnat-Dragičević said.

She noted that the need for mental health care both in adults and in children was certain to increase in the coming period and underlined the importance of systematic, available and adequate care and support for all who need it.

She pointed to the insufficient number of mental health experts who work with children as well as lack of expert psychological help for children who live outside urban areas, a problem that has existed for years, noting that the recent crises and traumatic events had made those problems visible and that now was the time to address them systematically.

Speaking of the resumption of children's usual activities, including online classes, Pirnat-Dragičević said that one should first establish if all children in the earthquake-hit area had the necessary conditions for online classes.

In some communities, such as those in the areas of Glina and Hrvatska Kostajnica, there are serious problems with signal strength and children would have difficulty following online classes, she said.

The ombudswoman also underlined the importance of psychological assistance to adults who take care of children - parents, grandparents and teachers, noting that webinars had been organised for teachers in Sisak-Moslavina County and the City of Zagreb and that additional workshops were being planned to follow up on their needs. Similar support is planned also for day-care workers, she said.

ZAGREB, 25 January, 2021 - About 20 cases of children with post-COVID syndrome have been registered in Croatia, the deputy director of Zagreb's Infectious Diseases Hospital, Zoran Barušić, said on Sunday.

Since the start of the epidemic, over 21,600 children under 19 have been infected with coronavirus and more and more have post-COVID syndrome, he told Croatian Television after the death of a 10-year-old boy, the youngest COVID fatality in Croatia.

The boy died at the Infectious Diseases Hospital early on Sunday of multisystem inflammatory syndrome as a result of coronavirus infection.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome, caused by the SARS-CoV- 2 virus, occurs in children within several days or several weeks of recovery from COVID-19. The syndrome can be mild but also extremely serious, Barušić said, adding that 16 children have been treated for it to date and that four are currently being treated at Zagreb's Infectious Diseases Hospital.

Eight children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome have been treated at Split University Hospital, six with a mild and two with a medium grave clinical picture, said dr. Branka Pulić, adding that all had recovered from COVID and had mild symptoms.

Two children with this rare syndrome have been hospitalised at Rijeka University Hospital.

Research shows that 70% of children with this syndrome require intensive care, 10% who recover have heart damage, and mortality is 1.5%.

ZAGREB, Sept 10, 2020 - A state-of-the-art kindergarten built in Croatian-US partnership was inaugurated in Sisak on Thursday by Ambassador Robert Kohorst and Mayor Kristina Ikic Banicek.

The Sunce kindergarten is worth HRK 8.5 million and the US government co-financed it with HRK 4. million, which was used to build the structure, while the town paid for its equipment and a playground.

Eighty-five preschool children are attending kindergarten.

Present at the inauguration, among others, were high US army envoys in Croatia and representatives of Croatia's Defence Ministry and Armed Forces General Staff.

Ambassador Kohorst said he was glad to be in Sisak today to witness such a beautiful event.

He said the US was proud that its military recognized the need to build a kindergarten in Sisak and that the US government concluded the deal with local contractors, who built the structure.

Kohorst said he was glad the US military had a humanitarian aid program within its portfolio and that it initiated the construction of the kindergarten with $710,000.

He added that the kindergarten was a symbol of Croatian-US friendship which was and would be very important for both countries.

The mayor thanked him for the donation and underlined the importance of the new building, saying the previous premises were inadequate.

"Two years passed since the first contact with the Embassy, i.e. the US government, and the opening of the kindergarten. I believe this isn't the only one, that there will be more projects like this. Now we have a modern building and happy children, parents, and teachers."

Headmistress Sandra Kramaric also thanked the Americans. "We had been waiting for a new kindergarten for 20 years. Today we are proud of the new building."

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ZAGREB, Sept 6, 2020 - Ivo Segota and Mladen Kozic, a gay couple, foster two children after years of struggling, Vecernji List daily said on Sunday.

"No comment. We want to keep the children anonymous," Segota said in a message when asked to comment on the news broken by the 24sata news website.li

Both men have received the necessary training and know what is in the best interest of the children. They are aware that revealing any information about the children they have provided with a temporary home and stable environment could hurt the children themselves, and the public interest could put fostering in jeopardy, Vecernji List says.

Kozic and Segota entered into a life partnership five years ago, deciding to become foster parents three years ago. They underwent the necessary psychosocial tests and at no point was their sexual orientation raised as an issue, the newspaper said, adding that social workers wish for more young, highly-educated foster carers living in urban areas. However, their application was unexpectedly rejected last November on the grounds of being gay.

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ZAGREB, May 24, 2020 - The Centre for Missing and Abused Children has warned that runaway children are at risk of becoming victims of abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking, and last year alone 1,461 children ran away from the family home or an institution in Croatia.

In 2019, according to Interior Ministry data, 326 children ran away from the family home and 1,135 from a correctional institution, the Centre has said on the occasion of International Missing Children's Day, observed on May 25.

Thirty-eight of the children who ran away from the family home were under 14 and it is especially worrying that in eight cases a crime was committed against the child at the time of the escape, the Centre added in a press release.

The Centre operates a 116000 hotline, which is the national number for reporting missing children.

"The disappearance of children is considered one of the riskiest situations in which various crimes can be committed against a child, such as abuse, exploitation, or human trafficking," the press release said.

European centres also work on the protection of children on the Internet because of the risk that a child becomes a victim of abduction or human trafficking. The Croatian centre also works on campaigns to raise awareness of the potential dangers that can occur when a child runs away.

"From the very beginning, we have been advocating better cooperation between the police, social welfare centres, institutions which accommodate children and other relevant bodies, notably for the establishment of the Amber Alert system which is operational in most European countries as an excellent tool to locate a child," the press release said.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 13th of April, 2019, the national children's hospital project is now finally entering a much more serious phase, and the Croatian Ministry of Health and the City of Zagreb, which are partners on this strategic project, will finally present it to the public in full, according to a report from Vecernji list, citing an international public bid to draw up a feasibility study for the huge project in Blato, Zagreb.

The feasibility study is necessary for this project because it will properly specify the requirements of the architecture, the urban planning, the ecological impact, the traffic situation, and all of the other parameters which need to be carefully considered and constructed, and one of the feasibility study elements would be the preparation of medical documentation.

Fifteen of the major international bidders are expected to report their segment-based studies, each within its own respective scope, and therefore a comprehensive study will ultimately define just what will go where, and where exactly to begin with construction. The start of work on feasibility studies from the project's partners, the Croatian Ministry of Health and the City of Zagreb, will be presented on this coming Monday, as was confirmed to Večernji list by Vili Beroš from the Ministry of Health.

"We received 42 million kuna from the Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014 - 2020 project, which is now a European project, and its initial presentation is common within such projects," explained Beroš.

The announcement of this tender was preceded by an electronic public consultation with all interested parties.

The core of Croatia's brand new national children's hospital would be the current Zagreb Children's Hospital, Klaićeva.

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There's no denying that Croatian olive oil is second to none, and we're not the only ones who think it. Croatian produce has won award after award and the long coastal traditions of olive growing, picking and harvesting in Croatia are worthy of just as much praise as the final results of that hard work are.

As Morski writes on thr 4th of April, 2019, the respected Brač brand of olive oil, Brachia, has launched Brachia Kids, the first Croatian olive oil made just for children of kindergarten and elementary school age, reports Journal.hr.

''Brachia Kids brings the fresh and intriguing taste of organic olive cultivation from ecological [olive] growing from the island of Brač. These flavours are ideal for children when it comes to falling in love with the taste of olive oil. This new product is intended for parents who understand the healing properties and the great nutritional value(s) of olive oil, and who want to introduce it to their children's diet,'' said Leopold Botteri, the co-manager of the Brachia cooperative.

Part of the main role in popularising the consumption of olive oil for children will also be played by its attractive packaging, which has been made by Izvorka Jurić and Jurica Kos.

''We've designed the packaging so that the product is attractive to children, fun to use, and also educational, in order to develop their awareness of the importance of the regular use of olive oil. The body of a glass vial (0.25 dcl) has been partially placed in a box that, together with the black tip of the bottle, forms a crayon, and within which six crayons are actually housed. Following the dissolution of the box, there is a fun colouring book with illustrations of olive trees and leaves and various tasks for children to complete. Olive oil nourishes the body, and the puzzle and colouring on the packaging, acts as food for the brain. Together, they make a complete product for the healthy development of children,'' explained packaging designer Izvorka Jurić.

In addition to the premium olive oil of Brachia Maslina and the latest Brachia Kids product - Izvorka Jurić has designed products for the lines of Brachia sort oils, ecoBrachia and Brachia & Friends. All of these products, including Brachia Kids' olive oil for children, are now available for purchase in UJE stores across the Republic of Croatia.

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Click here for the original article by Journal

NP Krka is another one of those ''must visit'' places when in Croatia, and yes, there are many such destinations to be found here. The whole ''must see'' thing has become a little saturated over recent years, especially with the rise of self-proclaimed travel bloggers and social media influencers, however, there is much more to this stunning national park than just the ability to take artistic Instagram pictures.

NP Krka is involving itself in the education of school children in the Dalmatian county in which the park is situated through a praiseworthy project aimed at increasing kids' overall awareness of both protected areas and nature and the environment.

As Morski writes on the 3rd of April, 2019, the highly visited NP Krka actually launched the project "Let's fill up the school libraries" (Popunimo školske knjižnice), for primary and secondary schools of the Šibenik-Knin County back in 2007.

The aim of the project is to make the books published within the framework of this educational scope available to school-age children and other young people, so that they can contribute to their own respective awareness of the country's numerous protected areas and the need to take care of their surroundings, including the importance of the proper preservation of the environment.

Since back in 2007, VHS tapes and later on, DVDs covering a wide array of topics related to NP Krka and its environment and native wildlife and birds have been shared around numerous local schools within the aforementioned county in Dalmatia. In February this year, a total of 49 books were distributed to thirty-six primary and thirteen high schools in the county.

NP Krka's administration and staff believe that this year's gift to local schools will be used by students and their mentors and teachers not only as an additional teaching aid for the classroom but that it will also encourage children to go out and get to know and further explore the rich natural beauty and the cultural heritage of the beautiful NP Krka.

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Living on a beautiful Dalmatian island might be the dream of many, but the daily grind and the confronting realities of island life often pour cold water on paradise-type notions. From access to various types of transport to water to regular ferry lines to and from the mainland, life on an island isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Brač's inhabitants however, are fighting the good fight for those who need it most.

As Morski writes on the 24th of March, 2019, for years now, Brač's Red Cross has helped the Association of parents of children with developmental disabilities through numerous organised actions and various donations. Owing to this, a large number of therapies on the island of Brač have been secured, but often kids and their parents still have to go to the mainland multiple times for other therapies. With that in mind, Red Cross Brač has initiated a petition with the aim to amend the law which governs transport between the island and the mainland.

"For this reason, Red Cross Brač initiated the initiative along with ''Brač buds'' to amend the necessary law in a manner that will in the future regulate the exercise of the right to free transportation on public transport for children with developmental difficulties residing on an island who need physical, sensory, communicative, or linguistic therapy, as well as those who have intellectual difficulties when it comes to learning and development support to achieve the best possible developmental outcomes and social inclusion. 

The desired change to the law will also positively affect those with severe disabilities residing on an island whose long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments may interfere with daily life and create various and multiple obstacles to their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with persons without disabilities.

This proposal seeks to highlight one aspect of discrimination against island children with developmental disabilities compared to the rest of the more privileged population.

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