The aim of this paper is to present and analyze the legal status of a child in non-marital partnership and (informal) life partnership in Croatian law. The child's right to family life is guaranteed by international documents, as well as national legislation. The national legislation of European countries offers different methods of arranging family communities other than marriage, which is reflected in the life of a child in such communities. To illustrate these discrepancies, we have taken Swedish and Polish regulation for example. After a short analysis of these two legal systems, this paper analyzes Croatian system of arragement of non-marital and same-sex families, namely non-marital partnership, life partnership and informal life partnership. The paper attempts to answer the question whether there are differences in the legal position of the child, his rights and duties, legal relations with other family members, depending on the form of the family community in which the child lives. Also, it presents an analysis of the relevant legal provisions on family law care of children without proper care through an adoption institute by non-married couples. It answers the question whether non-marital and same-sex partners may be adoptive parents and what are other ways of exercising parental care by non-marital partner or same-sex partner of the parent. In conclusion, it gives the assessment of the existing legal status deriving from the comparison of the legal relationship between children and adult family members in non-marital and same-sex families.