4.8 Current debates and reforms
New Government of the Republic of Croatia was formed in summer of 2020, after parliamentary elections in Croatia. In the new Government, the competent state body for youth is the Central State Office for Demography and Youth (Središnji državni ured za demografiju i mlade), founded in the August of 2020 by the Regulation on Internal Structure of the Central State Office for Demography and Youth (OG 97/2020) (Uredba o unutarnjem ustrojstvu Središnjeg državnog ureda za demografiju i mlade (NN 97/2020)). The newly formed Central State Office took the main responsibilities of the former Ministry for Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy in the youth field (see Chapter 1.9 Current debates and reforms).
The State Audit Office of the Republic of Croatia has conducted the Performance audit of measures and activities undertaken on poverty alleviation in the Republic of Croatia. The audit covers the period 2014 -2018. The objects of the audit were the measures and activities adopted by the Government of the Republic of Croatia according to the implementation documents adopted on the basis of the Strategy for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Republic of Croatia (2014 -2020) and their impact on poverty alleviation. On the bases of the established facts, and taking into account the objectives of the audit, the State Audit Office estimates that the measures and activities undertaken on poverty alleviation in the Republic of Croatia are partially effective and require significant improvements.
At the beginning of 2022, the Republic of Croatia is in the phase of adopting seven laws that are part of the reform of the social welfare system, and related to which are three national plans adopted by the Government of the Republic of Croatia at the end of 2021.
The new Social Welfare Law sets new measures. The fee for housing costs is being redefined, the amount of the fee for the personal needs of the user, the right to an accommodation service or organized housing is being increased. New services such as comprehensive assessment and planning, prior expert assessment, social mentoring and psychosocial treatment to prevent violent behaviour are also prescribed.