European Child Guarantee study visit

From May 11 to 13, UNICEF, in partnership with Croatia’s Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, hosted a study visit aimed at supporting the planning and implementation of the European Child Guarantee (ECG) in EU pre-accession countries, with the support of the European Commission. The event brought together experts and representatives from key ministries and institutions of Albania, Kosovo[i] and Montenegro, alongside UNICEF, to engage in structured learning and exchange with Croatian institutions that played a leading role in piloting and implementing the ECG.

Croatia was among the first countries to pilot the European Child Guarantee through Phase III of the Child Guarantee programme, implemented by UNICEF in close collaboration with national and local authorities and funded by the European Union. This pilot included a comprehensive deep dive analysis of child poverty and social exclusion, which served as the foundation for the development of Croatia’s National Action Plan for the ECG.

During the three-day visit, Croatian stakeholders shared their experiences and lessons learned across all key areas of the European Child Guarantee, including access to early childhood education and care, education, healthcare, decent housing, and adequate nutrition. The first day focused on presenting the strategic transition from the pilot phase to the National Action Plan, including the development process and Croatia’s approach to financing the implementation of the Council of the EU recommendation on establishing the European Child Guarantee.

On the second day, participants traveled to Međimurje County to engage with local authorities, institutions, and partners actively involved in implementing Phase III of the Child Guarantee in Croatia. The field visit provided an opportunity to observe service delivery models at the local level, with a particular focus on outreach and support for Roma children, and meet with institutions such as the Center for the Provision of Community Services Međimurje, as well as local authorities. Participants also had a chance to visit the Day stay facility in Roma settlement Podturen and Piškorovec, one of the five resource centers built by UNICEF and partners during the active implementation of the ECG in Croatia as well as Play HUB in Roma Family Centre Kuršanec, a preschool education and play HUB built by UNICEF and partners during the same phase,  nowadays run by the City of Čakovec.

The last day was reserved for Day Care Center for Rehabilitation of Children and Young Adults “Mali dom” and Centre for Rehabilitation Zagreb, both in order to observe model of early intervention for children with disabilities, parenting support to children with disabilities as well as support to social inclusion.

The study visit is part of the EU Child Guarantee Learning Lab, a recent UNICEF initiative to facilitate knowledge exchange and transfer of knowledge in the area of EU Child Guarantee. ECG Learning Lab is co-hosted by UNICEF Country Office in Croatia and supported by the European Commission and serves as a platform to accelerate the implementation of the ECG across EU member states and support candidate countries and potential candidates.

The European Child Guarantee (ECG), established through the Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021, is a flagship EU initiative aiming to prevent and combat child poverty and social exclusion by ensuring effective and free access to high-quality essential services for the most vulnerable groups of children in Europe. While EU Member States have adopted National Action Plans (NAPs) and continue to advance implementation, monitoring and evaluation, candidate countries and potential candidates are now entering a pivotal moment, expressing firm interest in aligning with ECG objectives and standards as a part of their EU accession pathways.

[i] All references to Kosovo should be understood in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)