First workshop for County representatives on the implementation of the European Child Guarantee held

The UNICEF Office for Croatia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, organized a workshop for representatives of regional self-government units on 16 and 17 September 2026. The workshop was organized as part of the project “Strengthening the Framework for the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Council Recommendation Establishing the European Child Guarantee”, with financial support from the European Union through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI). The objective of the workshop was to strengthen the capacities of institutions and individuals for the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the National Action Plan (NAP CG).

The workshop brought together 21 representatives of institutions responsible for social welfare, education, health, housing, strategic planning, and data collection and analysis from counties in central Croatia, as well as participants from Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Koprivnica-Križevci County, Krapina-Zagorje County, Međimurje County, Varaždin County, Zagreb County and the City of Zagreb.

Key workshop topics:

• The European Child Guarantee: policy framework, obligations of Member States, and implementation at regional and local levels
• Regional strategic planning, including the planning and implementation of measures for children at risk of poverty and social exclusion
• Aligning county-level plans with the measures set out in the NAP CG
• Theory of Change as a tool for planning and monitoring the implementation of measures at regional and local levels
• The monitoring, reporting and evaluation system for NAP CG implementation, including the definition of indicators, data collection and quality, as well as data analysis and reporting
• Availability of data on children at risk of poverty and social exclusion
• Cross-sectoral cooperation between national and regional/local institutions
• Participatory approaches to developing, monitoring and evaluating policies for children

Through a combination of presentations, group work, case study analysis and moderated discussions, participants exchanged experiences and identified priority areas for action and next steps for their counties. The workshop contributed to strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation and improving understanding of the links between national measures and concrete services for children at the local level. The conclusions and identified needs for additional support will serve as the basis for further activities within the project.

The next workshop will take place on 23 and 24 September in Đakovo and will be intended for officials from counties in the Slavonia region.