As recommended by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Day of Families has been celebrated worldwide for many years on 15 May in an effort to encourage society at all levels to protect and strengthen the role of the family. Since 1996, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has been choosing a theme for the celebration of the International Day of Families. Therefore, the last five years have been reserved for the topics of health and sustainable development, education and welfare of the family, displaying the role of the family and family policy in the process of improving Sustainable Development Goals, families and the role of new technologies and families and urbanization. Moreover, the celebration of the International Day of Families in 2020 took place against the backdrop of one of the world's largest pandemics.
The thirtieth anniversary of the International Day of Families will focus thematically on global trends and challenges – technological changes, migration, urbanization, demographic and climate changes as well as their impact on families. It is evident that numerous social changes on a global level have an effect on both the position of the family and the context in which contemporary family life in Croatia takes place. The world of work, the economy, the structure of the family and the relationships and roles of women and men within the family have changed significantly.
Nevertheless, in spite of all the above, the true concept of the family has actually remained intact – the family is still the top priority for the majority of people, there is a strong connection between family members, a sense of belonging and mutual care for each other as well as a feeling of safety within the family. Thus, it is clear that the family needs to be supported by the state and society.
With the establishment of the Central State Office for Demography and Youth, the Government of the Republic of Croatia demonstrates readiness to efficiently address today's unfavorable demographic trends. Our goal is to adopt quality measures in order to prevent and stop the emigration of young generations from the Republic of Croatia – family benefits through allowances and services, protection of working parents and maintaining the balance between family and work responsibilities. Existing maternity and parental benefits allow the care of the child, protection of motherhood and equal sharing of rights and caring responsibilities between both parents. Parents need to have an adequate amount of time to take care of their child and for the social security of the family. Child allowance is a direct measure for boosting the birth rate. It acts as a financial support in the upbringing and care of children.
By investing in increasing the availability of early childhood education and care services, we improve the social security of families with children, promote socially responsible behavior that lays the foundation for a positive environment for family life and encourages young families to stay in their community. In cooperation with the public and private sectors and the partner Croatian Post, the Mudrica e-Card for Children project enables parents to get discounts and bonuses for various products and services. In an effort to support and emphasize corporate social responsibility among employers who recognize the direct link between balanced family life and the work potential and performance of their employees, this year for the sixth time we awarded companies with the highest quality solutions for achieving the balance between family and work life, which is an essential component of demographic renewal.
Central State Office for Demography and Youth
