DISASTER IN CONSTANTA (AND ELSEWHERE)

It amazes me how the Romanian Orphans are being treated. We think we live in an enlightened world but not really. Comments by A are from an in-country source.

March 18, 2005

"Romania occupies one of the top spots in the child protection domain and is at the head of the class in becoming a model country on an international scale, not just in the region or in Europe. Today we can say the Romania is a success story in the area of child protection. Romania is in first place ahead of everyone in this area and other countries must take into consideration Romania's progress."

Emma Nicholson at a press conference.

It hasn't been three months since these "eulogies" were delivered by the "champion of child protection", "the best friend of Romanian children, blah, blah, blah . . . . But look below for what has happened in fact to the children in the country "in first place in the matter of child protection", in the "model country". Does anybody here understand the trauma(s) which descend on these children who are moved from their "family" [foster] back to the orphanage?!? All the progress that these children may have made in their foster families has basically gone out the window now. The trauma and destruction seem even worse than if the children wouldn't have been moved from the orphanages ("placement centers") in the first place.

Vali

From The GuardianHttp://www.gardianul.ro/index.php?a=societate20050602.xml

By Claudia Marcu

Tariceanu's government seems to be more and more overwhelmed by the problems which are coming to light in more and more domains (areas). Now the problem area of institutionalized children has been called on the carpet. Maybe the serious sickness that has been hidden in the social assistance and child protection system would not have come to the surface if the boil hadn't been broken in Constanta County. There, the president of the County Commission, Nicusor Constantinescu, decided to lay off the maternal assistants [paid foster care givers or 24/7 babysitters depending on one's point of view - A] and send the children in their care back to the orphanages. This involved hundreds of children who had benefited from the care that had been given them in their foster families (by the maternal assistants). The reason given was the lack of money in the budget to pay these maternal assistants [what if they were males? - A].

The representatives from the National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of the Child said, " This situation is in no way unique here in Romania.

Stefana Costea, a maternal assistant [foster care giver - A], said, "I beg you to please help us resolve this disastrous situation. I had a little girl in my care for over two years. She has a serious handicap and if she goes to the orphanage like they said, I'm afraid for her. She has a real need for special medical care that she won't get there. Personally, I don't care if they pay me or not for two months, I'll protect and keep this child." Probably a few, but not all of the 351 registered maternal assistants have this attitude. However it's certain that for these orphans, the trauma of returning to the orphanages ("placement centers") will be a huge problem.

At the end of last week, several maternal assistants protested in front of the offices of the local DPSDC (DPC), the Agency for the Social Protection of the Child and for the Protection of the Child's Rights [the Directie pentru Protectie Sociala si Drepturile Copilului Constanta]. They were unhappy about the fact that this governmental institution told them that they wouldn't be paid their salaries due to the lack of funds. Not only that, the president of the County Commission, Nicusor Constantinescu, had declared that these maternal assistants would be laid off without any pay for an indefinite period of time and the children in their care would be sent back to the orphanages ("placement centers"). Peter Dinica, the director of DPSDC, affirmed that the agency had received a smaller amount than was requested. The calculated need was 161 billion lei and they were given 117 billion. Requests for additional funds from Bucharest were ignored. Dinica stated, "the leadership of this agency, in order to solve this financial crisis, has decided to return about 400 [!!!! - A] children to the orphanages ("placement centers") and to lay off without pay the maternal assistants who cared for them."

Cosmina Simion, spokesperson for Bogdan Panait (head of the ANPDC/National Authority for Child Protection), said, "In nearly every county in Romania we are having these same kinds of problems." [I have heard this directly from maternal assistants, though in those counties, the problem hasn't arisen yet as far as we know - A]

Recent campaigns to prevent abandonment via the promotion of the system of maternal assistants now are in peril. And whatever has been done to this point is at risk to collapse. These "budget holes" have crushed and are crushing the chances for these children to have even the illusion [!!!! - A] of a family.