CHILD PROTECTION

Since the end of the Ceausescu era, Romania has undergone dramatic reform of its childcare system, reducing the number of children living in large-scale institutions from an estimated 100,000 in 1989 to an estimated 11,300 today. However, some 110 large-scale institutions remain and children continue to be placed in the care system through lack of sufficient alternatives.

In 2002 ARK began a partnership with Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) to work with the Romanian Government to close institutions and move every child into a caring family or family-type environment, while supporting the development of services to prevent the need for institutional care in the future. Within the first five years, with ARK’s support, HHC had closed three institutions, taking a total of 634 children out and placing them in alternative care services.

Seeking to build on this success, in 2008 ARK and HHC launched an expanded HHC - ARK Partnership for Romania. Through this programme, ARK and HHC aim to bring the reform of the child care system in Maramures county to a close making it the first large county to complete this process through quality de-institutionalisation in the country. The programme will also accelerate reform in Bacau county, creating a benchmark for reform across the Central and Eastern European region.

Overall, a further 6 institutions will be closed under this partnership by the end of 2010, moving another 495 children from institutions to families or alternative care and benefiting another 3,260 children through prevention, reintegration and foster care work.

For more information on Hope and Homes for Children please click here. 

Photograph © Hope and Homes for Children.