Number of institutionalized children in big drop

The number of Romanian children being cared for in institutions has significantly dropped, from about 110,000 in 643 very large institutions in 2000 to only 184 such institutions hosting 23,000 children today. Roughly 49,000 children have been placed in care with families or in family-style environments, reveals a national report put together by NGO Hope and Homes for Children Romania (HHC Romania) with the support of British organization Absolute Return for Kids (ARK).

The NGO’s objective is to close all the old-style childcare institutions by 2020, the cost of which is estimated at EUR 130 million. Present at the report’s launch event, Baroness Emma Nicholson, who in 2009 was appointed high representative for child protection by the Romanian government, said the country’s progress in the area of childcare was impressive. “You have a unique success story and you should all shout as loudly as possible about this,” she said, adding that at present Romania has some of the best possible legislation in this field. Not all the system’s problems have been solved, however. There are still considerable differences between regions when it comes to the quality of the services provided by the state, and many of the remaining institutionalized children have special needs and so are harder to integrate.

But even so, Romania has come a long way since 1989 and the subsequent few years when the international media spotlight fell upon the deplorable state of local childcare institutions. “Romania is now a model to be followed, finding itself in a leadership position when it come deinstitutionalizing children,” said Princess Marina Sturdza, honorary president of HHC Romania.

According to HHC, most of the children in state care already live in environments resembling family homes: 19,004 children are in foster care, 7,029 live in small family homes and apartments, and 21,033 children are in the care of relatives.

Simona Bazavan