Embassy Press Release

ROMANIA’S CHILDREN DESERVE THE BEST

For over seventeen years the U.S. Government has been one of the main donors for child welfare reform in Romania. With an investment of over $ 44 million, the U.S. Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), helped close large, impersonal institutions and created hundreds of services for children in need of social protection throughout Romania. Policy reforms were pioneered, thousands of Romanian professionals were trained, and Romanian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) received technical assistance and support that enabled them to respond effectively to the needs of children and families.

Today, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Mark Taplin, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States of America, Mariela Neagu, Secretary of State of the National Authority for the Protection of Child’s Rights, Debra Mosel, Acting Director of USAID, and William Saur, World Learning’s Chief of Party, presented remarks at the National Close-out Conference of the ChildNet Program. ChildNet was the last in series of programs to support child welfare reform in Romania with U.S. Government assistance. The conference celebrated its remarkable achievements and discussed plans for the future. Officials from both countries agreed that, although much progress has been done, there is still work to do in the field of child welfare.

In his remarks, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States of America, Mr. Mark Taplin said: “Romania has done an outstanding job in raising the quality of temporary solutions it offers to children who lack parental care. There are better residential homes, there are good foster parents, and there are life skills programs. All of these are very necessary. But they are also temporary. Every child needs a family of his or her own."

The ChildNet program was created in 2001 as a partnership between USAID, the National Authority for the Protection of Child’s Rights, and World Learning. USAID, through ChildNet, provided $16.5 million in training, technical assistance, and grants to NGOs working in partnership with governmental agencies to create and improve local services.

Thanks to these grants and to the commitment of the local partners, many children at risk of abandonment were able to remain with their families. Many others, who had been abandoned, were reunited with their families. Others were rescued and protected from abuse and neglect. Young adults, graduating from institutions, were helped to gain the skills they need to live independently.

Partnerships between NGOs and public child welfare authorities played a key role in the success of the ChildNet program. The 300 services established by ChildNet will continue to support Romanian children and families and to encourage communities to get more involved in supporting children at risk. These models have led to many reforms and created a foundation on which a modern child welfare system in Romania can be sustained.

For more information, contact:
Dana Buzducea, USAID Child Welfare Specialist
021 316 1222

back to top ^