Right to the status of a parent caretaker or the status of a caretaker

The allowance for a parent caretaker or a caretaker amounts to 530.89 EUR (HRK 4000) per month, and the caretaker is entitled to this allowance even while on leave of up to four weeks per year

The right to the status of a parent caregiver or caregiver is granted for the care of children with developmental disabilities or persons with disabilities who:

• are completely dependent on the care and assistance of another person as specific care is necessary for keeping them alive, consisting of medical and technical tasks for which the parent or caregiver is trained based on a recommendation of a medical doctor
• are completely immobile, even with the assistance of orthopaedic devices or
• have several types of level 4 impairments (physical, mental, intellectual or sensory) due to which they are completely dependent on the care and assistance of another person in meeting their basic living needs.

The right to the status of a parent caregiver is granted to the parent of a child with developmental disabilities or a person with disabilities who meets the requirements set out in this Act.
If there are two or more children with developmental disabilities or persons with disabilities in a family, the right can be granted to both parents.
If a child with developmental disabilities has no parents, the parents do not live with them or their psychological and physical condition prevents them from providing the child with adequate care, the right to the status of a caregiver may be granted to the spouse or extra-marital partner of the parent of the child with developmental disabilities, to the same-sex partner or informal civil partner of the parent of the child with developmental disabilities, a lineal blood relative, or a collateral blood relative up to the second degree of kinship who meets the requirements set out in the Act, and the same applies if there are two or more children with developmental disabilities or persons with disabilities in a single-parent family.
The right to the status of a caregiver is granted to the person selected by the person with disabilities and with their consent, i.e. with the consent of their legal representative, who shares a household with the person with disabilities.

Requirements for granting the right to the status of a parent caregiver or caregiver:

• The parent or household member is an adult.
• They have legal capacity.
• They have not lost custody.
• They have the psychological and physical capabilities needed for providing adequate care and assistance, and they are providing care.
• They share a household with a child with developmental disabilities or person with disabilities who meets the aforementioned criteria, and they have same address of residence.
• They have been trained to provide specific care, consisting of medical and technical tasks necessary for providing care to a child with developmental disabilities or a person with disabilities who meets the aforementioned criteria, and they are providing such care.

The right is not granted:

• if the child with developmental disabilities or person with disabilities has been granted the right to accommodation services or organised housing, or they have been provided housing in accordance with other regulations, except in the case of providing accommodation to victims of domestic violence
• if the child with developmental disabilities or the person with disabilities is the beneficiary of full-day care services based on the Social Welfare Act
• if the parents are using maternity, parental or adoption leave for the child in question
• to a parent or another person where a measure for the protection of the child’s rights and well-being has been imposed against such parent or another person pursuant to the act regulating family affairs
• to a parent or another person where an obstacle from Article 261(1) of the Social Welfare Act exists
• of the person who is the subject of the request for granting the right has entered into a lifelong support agreement or a support until death agreement, and no proceedings for the termination, nullification or annulment of such an agreement have been initiated.   

Granting of the right when the child with developmental disabilities or person with disabilities is residing in a preschool, educational or healthcare institution, social welfare home, centre providing services in the community or at other service provider:

• The right to the status of a parent caregiver or caregiver is not granted if the child with developmental disabilities or the person with disabilities is a beneficiary of full-day care services based on the Social Welfare Act.

Allowance amount

The allowance granted to a parent caregiver or a caregiver amounts to 530.89 EUR (HRK 4,000,00) a month (800% of the base amount) or 597.25 EUR (HRK 4.500,00) a month (900% of the base amount) when the child with developmental disabilities or the person with disabilities cannot participate in community programmes and services due to their health condition, or 796.34 EUR (HRK 6,000.00) a month (1200% of the base amount) for a parent who is single-handedly caring for two or more children with developmental disabilities or persons with disabilities and is a beneficiary of rights within the pension system, rights under mandatory health insurance and unemployment rights, as an employed person pursuant to special regulations.
The payment and calculation of the allowance, establishment of registration and cancellation information for mandatory insurance, and payment of contributions for mandatory insurance is carried out by the Ministry through the social welfare centre, and, as of 1 January 2023, through the Croatian Social Welfare Institute, while funds for these purposes are made available from the state budget.
A parent caregiver or caregiver is entitled to the allowance during leave periods for parents caregivers or caregivers in the duration of four weeks annually, as well as during a period of temporary inability to provide care lasting up to two months, which is determined by applying the adequate regulations within mandatory health insurance system providing temporary inability for work. In this period, the affected child with developmental disabilities or person with disabilities may be granted the right to accommodation services.
Right to leave
A parent caregiver or caregiver may use up to four weeks of leave during one year. While they are on leave, a parent caregiver or a caregiver remains entitled to the allowance.
Exercising of rights
The procedure for granting the right to the status of a parent caregiver or caregiver is to be initiated by the party at the competent social welfare centre until 31 December 2022, and at the Croatian Social Welfare Institute as of 1 January 2023. They are then sent to evaluation at the Institute for Expert Evaluation, Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of People with Disabilities. This right is granted based on a relevant decision of the social welfare centre, and as of 1 January 2023 by the Croatian Social Welfare Institute. The right is granted on the date on which the decision becomes enforceable.


Addresses and phone numbers of social welfare centres can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy.

Right termination

The right terminates:

• at the request of the parent caregiver or the caregiver
• if circumstances linked to the health condition of the child with developmental disabilities or the person with disabilities change, if the caregiver selected by the person with disabilities changes, or if circumstances linked to the parent caregiver or caregiver change
• if the parent caregiver or caregiver does not perform their duties of a caregiver without a valid reason for it
• if the parent caregiver or caregiver is held in detention or is serving a prison sentence
• if the parent caregiver or caregiver enters into an employment contract, runs a trade, an independent or any other kind of professional activity
• once the parent caregiver or caregiver reaches 65 years of age, except if they still fulfil statutory requirements
• once two months have passed and the parent caregiver or caregiver is still temporarily unable to provide care
• after the death of the child with developmental disabilities or the person with disabilities, the parent caregiver or the caregiver.
• if the person with disabilities has entered into a lifelong support agreement or a support until death agreement
• if any of the reasons set out in the Social Welfare Act are true.