Throughout history, children have often been exposed to neglect and abuse. The concept of children's rights did not exist until modern times, and children represented the most vulnerable social group. However, the position of the child has undergone significant changes from history to the present day. The Republic of Croatia is a signatory to numerous international agreements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, committing to protect the rights and well-being of the child and always act in the best interests of the child. In national legislation, the child is protected from any form of neglect, abuse, or violation of the child's rights. The Center for Social Welfare plays a crucial role in identifying risky circumstances in which a child is growing up, and through various measures, it can act preventively to preserve the family. Under its jurisdiction, the Center for Social Welfare can impose the following measures on families or parents: a warning about mistakes and omissions in child care, a measure of professional assistance and support in child care, and a measure of intensive professional assistance and supervision in child care, as well as the measure of emergency removal of the child from the family. The first three measures mentioned are of a preventive nature, aiming to prevent the removal of the child from the family, while the measure of emergency removal represents a repressive measure that requires serious reasons for its imposition. The aim of this paper is to present the role of the Center for Social Welfare in protecting the rights and well-being of the child, including preventive action, monitoring family situations, counseling, direct work with families, as well as empowerment and advocacy for children's rights.