Romania has decided to ban sending orphan or abandoned children under 3 to orphanages or hospitals. “The revised law provides a strong signal that children are a priority and Romania continues to be one of the leading countries in the region implementing key reforms for vulnerable children,” reads a statement from UNICEF, which salutes the change in law.

With this initiative, Romania shows again its potential in becoming a child rights champion in the region, said Sandie Blanchet, UNICEF representative in Romania. " We are ready to support the National Authority and General Directions for Social Assistance and Child Protection in implementing this law on the national and local levels starting with January 2015," she added.  UNICEF's aim is to help continue removing children from orphanages and placing them into the care family social services by 2020.

According to UNICEF, this law will be another good practice example on protecting vulnerable children that Romania will share with other countries in Europe and elsewhere.  UNCEF also calls for increasing investments in local social services to prevent unnecessary separation of children from their families.

There are about 24,000 children in Romanian orphanages, according to data from the National Authority for Child Protection. The latest statistics available are however from 2008-2009.

Overall, some 70,000 children are being taken care of by the state, either in orphanages and hospitals, or through maternal or family social care. In 2009, there were also 1,400 children left by their families in hospitals.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com,

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo from UNICEF)