{"id":44711,"date":"2025-06-03T13:20:38","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T11:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/?p=44711"},"modified":"2026-01-22T13:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T12:48:11","slug":"croatia-a-city-pays-grandparents-to-look-after-their-grandchildren-a-social-response-to-a-double-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/croatia-a-city-pays-grandparents-to-look-after-their-grandchildren-a-social-response-to-a-double-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"In Croatia, a city pays grandparents to look after their grandchildren: A social response to a double crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Faced with an acute demographic crisis and a high poverty rate among the elderly, Croatia is exploring innovative solutions. In Samobor, a small town located about twenty kilometers from Zagreb, a unique initiative has emerged: paying grandparents who look after their grandchildren due to a lack of nursery spots. This original scheme, launched at the end of March 2025, aims to address two major issues simultaneously: the shortage of childcare options and the precariousness of elderly people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-grands-parents-1024x576.png\" alt=\"croatia grandparents\" class=\"wp-image-44712\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-grands-parents-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-grands-parents-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-grands-parents-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-grands-parents.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In Samobor (Croatia), grandparents who look after their grandchildren are paid \u20ac360\/month to make up for the lack of nursery places.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The initiative responds to a dual crisis: a shortage of childcare options and poverty among senior citizens (37% live below the poverty line).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inspired by Sweden, the measure strengthens family ties and provides valuable financial support for the elderly.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The scheme has already attracted some thirty families and is attracting interest from other Croatian municipalities.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>This model of solidarity could become a national lever in the face of the country&#8217;s demographic decline.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A double challenge: limited childcare and senior poverty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Croatia, a country of 3.8 million inhabitants,<strong> children start school at the age of six<\/strong>. In the meantime, nursery spots remain insufficient: several <strong>thousand children are unable to find childcare<\/strong> every year, particularly in large cities like Zagreb. At the same time, in 2024, <strong>more than 37% of people over the age of 65<\/strong> were living<strong> below the poverty line<\/strong>\u2014twice the European average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this context, <strong>the city of Samobor<\/strong> has become a pioneer by offering <strong>monthly compensation to grandparents<\/strong> who care for their grandchildren <strong>under the age of four<\/strong> when no public nursery place is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-conseils-nouveaux-grands-parents-1024x576-1.png\" alt=\"croatia family bonds\" class=\"wp-image-44713\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-conseils-nouveaux-grands-parents-1024x576-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-conseils-nouveaux-grands-parents-1024x576-1-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/une-conseils-nouveaux-grands-parents-1024x576-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A measure inspired by the Swedish model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative is led by <strong>Samobor\u2019s mayor<\/strong>, Petra Skrobot, a member of the liberal Fokus party. She was inspired by a similar program in effect in Sweden. \u201c<strong><em>The benefits are numerous<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d she told AFP. \u201c<em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/china-a-historic-reform-for-an-evolving-pension-system\/\">Pensions<\/a> are quite low<\/strong>, and for parents, it is sometimes difficult to find childcare<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The municipality provides a subsidy of <strong>360 euros per month per child<\/strong>, an amount already allocated to other childcare options such as private kindergartens or childminders. Now, <strong>this financial support also applies to grandparents<\/strong>, who are considered a key link in<strong> intergenerational solidarity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A solution that strengthens family bonds in Croatia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the implementation of the program, <strong>nearly 30 grandparents have submitted their applications<\/strong>. Among them is <strong>Dubravka Koletic<\/strong>, 60, who looks after her 18-month-old grandson Viktor. She welcomes the measure: \u201c<em>We earn a few euros, which is good because our pensions are low, and we spend a lot of time with our grandchildren<\/em>.\u201d She also highlights the strengthened bond with Viktor: \u201c<strong><em>We grow closer to them, and they to us<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Her daughter, Danijela Koletic<\/strong>, a 41-year-old economist and mother of three, could not find a nursery spot for her youngest son. For her, <strong>the arrangement is ideal<\/strong>: \u201c<em>It\u2019s easier to leave a small child with someone you trust, and at the same time Viktor and his grandmother are growing closer and close<\/em>r.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/intergenerationnel-grand-parents-bebe_114648799-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"grand mother croatia\" class=\"wp-image-44714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/intergenerationnel-grand-parents-bebe_114648799-1024x683-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/intergenerationnel-grand-parents-bebe_114648799-1024x683-1-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/intergenerationnel-grand-parents-bebe_114648799-1024x683-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A response to growing local pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Samobor<\/strong>, with a population of around 37,000, <strong>is welcoming more and more young families <\/strong>attracted by the proximity to the capital and a quieter lifestyle. This demographic trend even led to the opening of a new kindergarten class last year. However, <strong>more than 100 children<\/strong>, mainly the youngest, <strong>could not be accommodated in existing facilities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Josipa Milakovic, director of the<strong> Grigor Vitez kindergarten<\/strong>, sees the municipal measure as \u201c<strong><em>a helping hand to parents<\/em><\/strong>\u201d and concrete support at the local level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A national demographic challenge for Croatia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative in Samobor comes amid a concerning national backdrop. Croatia, a member of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/ageing-population-in-europe-a-demographic-crisis-for-the-eu\/\">European Union<\/a><\/strong>, is facing a marked <strong>demographic decline<\/strong>. With a <strong>fertility rate of 1.5 children per woman<\/strong> and ongoing emigration, the country\u2019s population could fall from 3.8 million today to just <strong>2.5 million by 2100<\/strong>, according to United Nations projections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/intergenerationnel-complicite_138990605-768x512-1.jpg\" alt=\"intergenerational \" class=\"wp-image-44715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/intergenerationnel-complicite_138990605-768x512-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/intergenerationnel-complicite_138990605-768x512-1-400x267.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Launched at the end of March 2025<\/strong>, the program is already drawing the interest of elected officials from <strong>other Croatian municipalities<\/strong> who are keen to understand its workings. Mayor Petra Skrobot has been contacted several times to share her experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A model of family solidarity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>By integrating <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/new-grandparents-7-tips-to-make-the-most-of-this-new-adventure\/\">grandparents<\/a><\/strong> into the childcare system through financial compensation, <strong>Samobor offers a humane and pragmatic response <\/strong>to a complex challenge. This model strengthens <strong>intergenerational bonds<\/strong>, <strong>combats the isolation of the elderly<\/strong>, and provides a concrete alternative for families without childcare solutions. A local experiment that could well <strong>become a model nationwide<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In #Croatia, a city pays #grandparents to look after their #grandchildren: A #social response to a double #crisis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":44712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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#Croatia, a city pays #grandparents to look after their #grandchildren: A #social response to a double 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