Roditeljstvo i invaliditet – perspektiva djece, roditelja s invaliditetom i stručnjaka
Parenting and disability: perspectives from children, parents with disabilities and professional experts

Summary/Abstract: While the right of disabled people to live independently is increasingly recognised, the parenting abilities of persons with disabilities remain poorly researched (Dobrotić et al. 2015). In Croatia, there is almost no research on children of persons with disabilities and how the needs and difficulties of parents with disabilities affect their parenting skills, the family dynamics and child-rearing (Urbanc, 2003). In international literature, the children of persons with disabilities are recognised as “young care-givers”, reflecting their often dominant role in the family. Increasing the visibility of this group of children and reflecting on their needs as well as the needs of their families can provide a basis for the development of support to this target group during their upbringing. This will be discussed in the present study. The aim of this qualitative research was to gain insights into the perspectives of children and parents on specific experiences of parenting and specifically parenting as related to the parents’ disability, as well as insights into the perspective of experts from the social welfare system, educational system and civil sector organisations who work directly with parents with disabilities and their children. Interviews were conducted with seven children in the age range of 14-17 and their parents (six mothers and one father), who had different types of bodily injury. A focus group with five experts was also conducted. The results show that parents and professionals expect more effective support from different systems (health, social, educational), such as greater financial support for parents, practical assistance immediately after childbirth and later during childhood, as well as special help in some specific situations (e.g. after surgery, rehabilitation, and hospitalisation).

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