The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of parenting practices in Croatia, and to explore the views and attitudes of parents with children under the three years on current family policy measures in Croatia as well as the linkage between these measures and the ideals of care that parents prefer. The target group were the parents in the City of Zagreb with one to three years old children. Qualitative research was conducted, and in the selection of the research participants roughly the same number of parents was included for each of the five Kremer's ideals of care (ideal of full time mother care, parental sharing, intergenerational care, professional care, surrogate mother). The results points at diversity of parenting practices in the City of Zagreb and show that parenting practices mostly coincide with the ideal of care the parents prefer. In the cases when parents are not able to practice a preferred ideal of care, they practice the one that is most similar to their preferred ideal. Full time mother care and professional care are most supported ideals by family policy measures in Croatia, i.e. in the City of Zagreb, although, some support is also present in the case of professional care and surrogate mother. All parents emphasized the need to increase parental leave benefits and improve the quality of early childcare education and care services in the City of Zagreb, i.e. to improve the availability of nurseries and the educators-children ratio in nurseries.