Romania

Abandoned Children

In the early 1990s some 100,000 children lived in public residential care institutions.

Romania has made progress in closing down institutions. In the last 10 years one NGO working with the Romanian government has closed down 11 institutions with estimates of 1,600 children being de-institutionalised.

But what about the 26,000+ children who have been waiting their turn for years in one of the approximately 300 institutions that remain.

The largest inflow of children into the protection system comes from abandonment in maternity and paediatric hospitals (some 9,000 per year in 2003 and 2004).

Disabled Children

According to statistics issued by the Romanian National Authority for Child Protection (31st March 2007) the total number of children residing in substitute families or in institutions is 73,793.

47,194 are in substitute families.

26,599 are in institutions.

11,016 of these are mentally or physically disabled.

In addition to difficult physical access to health services and other public health services, many children with disabilities are also confronted with negative attitudes from health care staff.