Early development support

Early development support encompasses professional stimulating assistance and support for children and expert counselling for parents and other family members or foster families when a child is diagnosed with a certain developmental challenge, risk or difficulty at an early age

Developmental challenges, risks or difficulties are diagnosed by the Croatian Social Work Institute based on an opinion by a doctor specialising in neonatology or pediatrics, or exceptionally by a doctor specialising in another relevant field, or an expert assessment.

Early development support services are granted to children in order to stimulate their development and include them in a wider social network, if such a service is not provided within the framework of healthcare, based on an expert assessment by a service provider regarding duration and frequency of service.

Service provision 

Early development support services are provided by social welfare homes, associations, religious communities, as well as other legal persons.

Early development support services are provided to the child up to three years of age, and no longer than up to seven years of age, for up to five hours a week.

Early development support services are provided within the family or at a service provider.

Beneficiaries granted early development support services cannot be granted psychosocial support services.