This study, availabe in english and conducted for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) by integration expert Drago Župarić-Iljić, analyses the system for the provision of protection and care to unaccompanied and separated migrant children in Croatia. 

The study examines both institutional and non-institutional solutions for the initial reception of these children, their subsequent placement within the country, and their later integration. Conducted through desk research and empirical fieldwork with stakeholders, it provides insights with a view to shaping policy-making recommendations and promoting the development of alternative and inclusive models.

The study's analysis of current reception solutions notes that improvements have been made to legal, policy, and institutional standards over the last 10 years. Reforms to institutional processes underway nationwide aim to improve the availability of alternative care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children, such as through the provision of supervised independent living housing units or placements in foster families, as these are more favourable for the comprehensive development of children and youth without adequate parental care. Participants in the study also highlighted the usefulness of a specialised institution for the emergency reception of unaccompanied and separated children, while placement in community-based supported living arrangements or in foster families is being arranged.

Practitioners interviewed highlighted that significant challenges are still faced when working with foreign national children, particularly in overcoming communication barriers. Other obstacles identified include the insufficient number of foster families generally, the absence of a 'matching' mechanism in the fostering process, reconciliation of perceived cultural differences, and insufficient support and supervision for foster carers and children placed in foster care. Additional efforts are therefore needed, notes the study, to build capacity for reception and longer-term integration, and to enact policy measures to develop and promote foster care for these children.