The aim of this article is to compare the kinds of behavioural and emotional problems of youth in relation to type of out‐of‐home placement in Croatia. Children living in children's homes manifest significantly more behavioural and emotional problems than other groups of children in out‐of‐home care or children living in their primary families. Children living in foster families or in family‐type homes integrated in the community do not differ from a comparative group of children living in primary families. Regardless of differences among sub‐samples regarding behavioural and emotional problems, the current problems of individual children in all groups of children in out‐of‐home placement were connected more to currently experienced stressors than to unfavourable circumstances before their removal. This indicates that there are benefits to be gained by improving services in the children's present care environment.

Since children's homes in Croatia and elsewhere nowadays deal with children who have more problems than in the past, there is a need to identify predictors of the children's behavioural and emotional problems in order to provide adequate interventions and an appropriate developmental environment. This research was carried out in all children's homes in Croatia. The sample consisted of 263 children aged 10–14. Standardized instruments (Youth Self‐Report and Child Behaviour Check‐List) were used as outcome measures of children's psychosocial functioning. The results showed significantly more behavioural and emotional problems in children in children's homes than in the comparison group of children living with their families. Child care‐workers assessed fewer behavioural and emotional problems than did the children themselves. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine predictors for well‐being scores. The level of everyday stress in children's homes, coping strategies, perception of social support and school achievements proved to be the most significant predictors. Since those variables belong to mediating variables within the suggested model of research, it is argued that positive changes in these areas can facilitate a better psychosocial functioning of the children in children's homes.

Based on the perception of higher education system as a public good and the importance of the social aspect of education, this paper focuses on children from care, for whom mere participation in the education process, and especially in higher education, is a significant factor of social inclusion. The paper presents the results of research carried out as part of "The challenges of pursuing studies and providing support to students brought up in public care", a research project financed by the University of Zagreb. The aim of qualitative research carried out on 23 students with in-care experience was to describe the particularities and experience of their student life. Five focus groups were held in five university cities: Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, Osijek and Pula. The collected data was processed and grouped according to the analysis of the (thematic) framework in the following themes: motives for enrolment, characteristics of studying, perception of self and other peers, facilitating factors in the studying process and social network. The results of this research indicate the need to provide targeted, systematic support in order for this group to improve and realize their potential and more easily overcome the unfavourable circumstances that have characterised their educational path. Hence, it is important to plan cooperation between the social care system and education system on all levels.

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