Representatives of parents whose children were not enrolled in the Bili cvitak Sinj kindergarten have sent a sharp statement to the City of Sinj, demanding concrete deadlines, figures, and solutions after the final enrollment lists were published.
Representatives of parents whose children were not enrolled in the Bili cvitak Sinj kindergarten, Vesna Bakić, Jelena Žižić Vidalina, and Marko Đipalo, issued a public statement on Wednesday expressing deep dissatisfaction with the final enrollment lists for kindergartens in the City of Sinj. They claim they have had enough of promises that mean nothing and demand precise deadlines, exact figures, and concrete actions.
In the statement, which was carried by the portal Ferata, the parents note that their children have still not secured their basic right to a kindergarten place even after the final lists were published. "We are addressing you on behalf of parents whose children, even after the publication of the final enrollment lists for kindergartens in the City of Sinj, have not realized their basic right to a place in a kindergarten," the statement begins.
The parents emphasize that for months they have been hearing promises about solutions, capacity expansion, and the opening of new facilities, but it is now becoming clear that there is no concrete solution for a large number of children. They are particularly concerned about information regarding the kindergarten in Glavice, which was counted on as one of the solutions to the problem of unenrolled children.
"All the promises that were presented to us for months as done or nearly done are now falling through. Particularly concerning are the reports we have received from reliable sources, according to which the kindergarten in Glavice is nowhere near ready to open," the parent representatives state.
The statement notes that due to the lack of places, parents are being forced to make decisions they should never have had to consider: resigning from their jobs, taking unpaid leave, delaying their return to work, and seeking private babysitters or private kindergartens that many cannot afford. Some parents simply have no family member who can take over childcare.
"Parents are not asking for a privilege. They are asking for the opportunity to work, to return to their jobs, and for their children to have a place in a kindergarten," Bakić, Žižić Vidalina, and Đipalo say.
They also addressed the fact that the kindergarten is free, but point out that this is not enough: "A free kindergarten sounds good on paper, but free is not the same as accessible. If a child has no place, the parent could not care less how much the kindergarten costs."
The parents are demanding clear and concrete answers from the City of Sinj to six questions:
In conclusion, the parents say they no longer want political bickering, new promises, or shifting of responsibility. "We want deadlines, figures, and concrete measures. Because behind every number on the final list is a child. Behind every unenrolled child is a parent who has to decide whether to work or stay at home," the statement reads.
The parents say they will not stop seeking answers and a concrete solution for every child who has been left without a place, and they expect the problem to no longer be treated as an administrative enrollment matter, but as a serious family issue in the City of Sinj that needs to be resolved urgently.
