Jonathan Scheele: Romania - a regional model in child protection

Publication date: 10 September 2002

Romania is about to become a regional model for the way it approaches the

issue of child protection, Jonathan Scheele, the head of the European

Commission Delegation to Bucharest, said during a press conference on

Tuesday at the end of the social campaign, "An Orphanage is not home."

According to the head of the EC Delegation, there are still large orphanages

that need to be shut down. The European Commission has allocated 13 M euro

for continuation of the reform, restructuring institutions that shelter

hundreds of children, and setting up alternative units. Valentina Botezatu,

deputy secretary of state with the National Authority for the Protection of

Children in foster care institutions said that the number of children hosted

there dropped by almost 15 thousand in a year. Almost 50 large foster care

centres, with 400-500 children, have been shut down, and only 28 are still

operational. As for adoptions, between January and July only, 2069 national

adoptions took place in the country, said Botezatu.

Countries: Romania

Organizations: European Commission