ZAGREB, 27 Jan 2022 - A government official on Thursday rejected opposition amendments asking that persons eligible to provide foster care should also include formal and informal life partners, which Domagoj Hajduković (Social Democrats) called discrimination against same-sex partners wishing to be foster parents.

The amendments are rejected, the article which you are asking to be amended is not subject to amendment of the Foster Care Act, Social Welfare Ministry State Secretary Marija Pletikosa said in a comment on amendments put forward by the Green-Left Bloc, the Social Democrats as well as independent MP Furio Radin, who is part of the parliamentary majority and who put forward a proposal to that effect by Hajduković.

"It is our duty as MPs, in line with rulings of the Constitutional Court, to intervene in that legal provision so as to prevent discrimination of some citizens in terms of provision of foster care," they said.

Hajduković admitted that the said article was not subject to legal changes, but noted that it required intervention because "there is evident discrimination against citizens who want to be foster parents and are possibly same-sex life partners."

We are indirectly telling those people not to apply to provide foster care while children's homes are full of children, this is discrimination against a part of the population as well as against children who need foster care, Hajduković said.

No reason why ideological tenets should be more important than children's welfare

Hajduković was supported by MP Urša Raukar Gamulin (Green-Left Bloc), who said that "a large number of children are waiting for foster care, there are not enough foster parents, and there is no reason whatsoever why some ideological tenets should be more important to us than children's welfare".

Raukar Gamulin warned that the law "allows a child abuser to be a foster parent" while same-sex partners are not desirable. That's is truly a disgrace, she said.

Government representative Pletikosa also rejected a proposal by the Social Democratic Party that the parliament obliges the government to send it within 30 days, in line with a Constitutional Court ruling, changes to the Foster Care Act in such a way to enable same-sex partners and formal and informal life partners to equally participate in all aspects of social life, including foster care.

Const. Court didn't order that law be amended, competent bodies should interpret it

"The Constitutional Court did not order amendment of the Foster Care Act but determined that competent bodies have the duty to interpret it and apply its provisions in such a way that will enable all persons, under equal conditions, to participate in the provision of foster care, independent of whether a potential foster parent lives in a life or informal life partnership," said Pletikosa.

"You are lying!" said SDP MP Sabina Glasovac, noting that the Court "only said that at that moment, suspension of three articles of the law would result in a legal vacuum that would have a negative impact on the beneficiaries."

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

ZAGREB, 30 Oct, 2021 - The association of family-run retirement homes on Friday called on members of the public to join in public consultation on amendments to the Social Welfare Act, noting that the proposal to abolish family-run retirement homes would cause uncertainty for both their users and employees.

"We are against the abolishment of family-run retirement homes which we consider a good type of the social service of providing accommodation for elderly persons," the association said, calling on members of the public to join in consultations on the amendments, to last until 3 November.

It notes that the Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Ministry had not conducted analyses of the work of family-run homes for senior citizens and the alternatives for their users and employees.

"Family-run retirement homes provide accommodation for more than 6,000 beneficiaries and employ more than 2,000 people," the association says.

Under the new social welfare bill, family-run home for senior citizens have a deadline of five years to reorganise into institutions that are part of the social welfare system, thus complying with requirements on spatial and personnel conditions.

For homes with a smaller number of users, the bill offers the possibility to change to providing foster care.

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

For more about Croatia, CLICK HERE.