A team of experts from the Zagreb Law Faculty conducted a survey in 2013 on child poverty and welfare which indicated that the poverty rate amongst 295,000 children under seven was around 20% which means 60,000 children.
Taking into consideration household income, they are not exclusively poor but are faced with the risk of poverty. Around 15,000 children come from families who are beneficiaries of social welfare and two-thirds live in rural regions, the head of the survey, Zoran Sucur, explained.
Assistant Minister for social policies, strategy and youth Hrvoje Sadaric said that the government was preparing a national strategy to combat poverty, which should be an all-encompassing programme that will resolve the problems of all vulnerable people in Croatia. One of the facets of the programme will be to provide food for poor children, etc. he said.
Ombudswoman for children Ivana Milas Klaric warned that poverty in the earliest age can leave lasting consequences and that it was necessary to strengthen the economy so that parents can find jobs and adequately care for children.
UNICEF representative Valentina Otmacic said that poverty amongst children had not increased in all countries hit by the crisis because they launched programmes to combat negative trends.
"Children are considered to be beyond the boundaries of poverty with regard to access to quality food, housing, new clothing, toys, picture books, etc. A family of four with earnings lower than HRK 4,200 can be considered to be living in relative poverty," Otmacic said.