ZAGREB, 5 July (Hina) - Split-Dalmatia County has become the first in Croatia to open organised centres for children with developmental difficulties on the islands of Brač and Hvar, thus providing island communities with continuous professional support, MP Danica Baričević  reported.

These are branches of the "Juraj Bonači" Education and Rehabilitation Centre from Split, opened in cooperation with the local community, the Brački Pupoljci association, the Split-Dalmatia County, and the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy.

Project leaders highlight this initiative as a positive example of successful inter-institutional cooperation for the benefit of the most vulnerable groups.

Thanks to the initiative of the association, the support of MP Danica Baričević, Centre Director Snježana Čotić, the relevant ministry and the county, a branch of the "Juraj Bonači" Centre was opened on the island.

The Ministry provided funding for the salaries of professionals, while the local community secured the premises.

"Speech therapists, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, we now have all of that available to island families. This is concrete support where it’s needed most," said MP Danica Baričević, emphasising that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also offered his support and attended the opening of the centre on Brač.

Brač has become the first Croatian island to offer organised care for children with developmental difficulties up to the age of seven, a period crucial for timely development. Until now, many families with children in this group had to travel daily for therapy, most often to Split.

According to county data, nearly one hundred children on Brač already require additional professional support at pre-school age. While parents have for years received help through associations such as "Brački pupoljci", institutional support was limited.

"Parents often turn to associations, but we wanted the state to get involved too, so that the support would be of the highest quality," said Baričević.

Encouraged by the success of the Brač model, a similar service was launched in May on the island of Hvar, in the village of Vrbanj.

In addition to early intervention for children up to the age of seven, the plan is to develop further services for children up to 21 years of age, as well as for adults with disabilities. The premises were provided by the Catholic Church, in cooperation with the local authorities.