On 21 October 2025, the UNICEF Office for Croatia organised a roundtable entitled "Challenges and Opportunities in the Development of Foster Care for Unaccompanied Children in the Republic of Croatia". This event marked the closing of the programme “Support for Children and Families on the Move in the Process of Protection and Integration in Croatia”, which was jointly implemented by UNICEF Croatia and the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration, with support from several national stakeholders.
Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the programme aimed to address the significant increase in the number of applicants for international protection in Croatia, particularly women, survivors of gender-based violence, single mothers with young children, unaccompanied and separated children, and people with disabilities.
Through the programme, 1,984 non-native-speaking children were integrated into schools and local communities, while 555 students underwent standardised language testing, enabling schools to provide targeted support to overcome language barriers. Additionally, 1,200 professionals in early childhood development, education, social work, asylum systems and mental health received further training, strengthening the capacity of key institutions to work with children and families on the move. More than 1,700 children and families received mental health and psychosocial support.