Response to EU Article on Romania

In reading the article, "EU child reform bears fruit", that was put out with different titles in various Romanian papers, it was interesting to me that there was no mention of how much money the NGO's had to put in to make all of this EU-RO government PHARE project work and to be maintained. For example, in our county, Mures, our foundation invested over $50,000 for the start up costs for only one of nine of these PHARE home projects. We were one of five foundations being told that the projects would not be able to open without our partnerships. We then chipped in even more for the rest of the state group homes to be able to open on time. All of the NGOs that deal with abandoned and orphaned children were involved and we all spent a lot of time and money and other resources to help close down some of the bigger orphanages. We are still giving to these state group homes monthly to supplement their meager state allowances. The state cannot meet the basic requirements their own laws mandate without NGO assistance. I am talking about basic food, clothing, education, required summer camp outing, etc.... Thus, this article, obviously for the spin value the RO government hopes will further the myth of their great success, is not accurate in the picture it paints of their "success." It once again undervalues the work of the NGO's that helped get these projects off the ground and that still play a major role in their month to month sustenance.

Please let me know if any of you all and the NGOs with whom you work have "partnered" with the state for some of these PHARE (EU/Romanian Government) projects. I would really like to know how much others have invested in other areas of Romania.

As to the rest of the article's content, some of these new group homes are great and we have seen very positive results in them. However, some are just smaller versions of orphanages with the same employees and many with abuse, neglect, violence, etc... In our county, there was a huge scandal because the orphanage director was also in charge of the "new apartments" for the girls in his care. The girls were first on the list to get out of the orphanage because they were being gang raped there. Within one year of opening the new apartments, the scandal broke because the girls were being prostituted out by the group home parents with the apparent full knowledge of the orphanage director! The local DPC did not fire the director. Instead they put him on their staff as the psychologist who investigates sexual abuse cases! I am not kidding.

We are still partners with the state for the sake of the children. Thus we still give aid and run ministry programs, educational programs, camps, etc... for these state group homes that have replaced the larger institutions. Even with all that, they pale in comparison to private care group homes. The state of Romania spends $200 per month per child in an institution, $250 per month per child in a state group home (this is not including what they get from NGO aid and assistance), and a private group home, on average spends an average of $500 per month per child, depending on the NGO. This is just one way to see the difference in the level of care. The private care kids are not living luxuriously by any means but they are receiving good care by anyone's standard.

Thanks for letting me rant again.

Bruce

Bruce Thomas
Executive Director/Founder
Livada Orphan Care
ROMANIA
www.livada.org

EU child reform in Romania bears fruit

91 old type institutions were closed and 581 family type homes were opened in the 5 years since Romania began implementing the "Children First" Phare programme financed by the European Union. Over 15,000 children from 37 counties and 4 Bucharest sectors have benefited from services created by this EU programme.

The projects financed under the "Children First" programme, which has now come to an end, were carried out country wide by the General Directorates for Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) with the assistance ofthe National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights.

The "Children First" programme, worth 37 million Euro, led to: the closure of 91 old-style child protection institutions; the opening of 581 apartments and family-type homes, 51 day care centres, 34 recuperation centres for disabled children, and 14 mother-and-baby centres; the recruitment of over 2000 foster parents, as well as the development of other support and counselling services for parents.

The total size of the Phare programme was 31 million Euro, of which the Government of Romania contributed 2.5 million Euro and the beneficiary county councils 3.5 million Euro.

Mr. Jonathan Scheele, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission, stated: "A nation's health is also measured by the care it shows for its children. Romania, with EU support, has over recent years carried out an indepth reform of child protection, based on a policy that aims to support families and through European-standard legislation in the area of child protection that addresses not only institutionalised children, but all children in Romania. I sincerely hope that other countries in the region will follow your country's example in this sector".

Mr. Bogdan Panait, Secretary of State of ANPDC, added: "A few years ago one would immediately recognise an institutionalised child, no matter where you met him or her. The fact that today these children are informed and involved in decisions that affect them, the mere fact that when they come back from school they open the door of their home has decisively influenced their behaviour, their self belief and, why not, their self esteem".

The conferece that will begin tomorrow, 14 September, in Sinaia will present the results of the "Children First" programme and will enable an exchange of best practices between the General Directorates aimed at improving the quality of services in the social assitance and child protection area.

Contact persons:

Mariela Neagu, Delegation of the European Commission, Tel: 021 203 5418

Nicoleta Preda, National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights, Tel: 315 36 33

UK Press 9/10/06

Barred: The aid workers who exposed Romania's orphan abuseDaily Mail Sat, 09 Sep 2006 3:27 PM PDTAid workers accused of helping expose the abuse of children in Romanian hospitals have been forced out of their jobs after an outcry over news pictures of orphans strapped to their beds for hours on end

Barred: The aid workers who exposed Romania's orphan abuseEvening Standard Sat, 09 Sep 2006 3:17 PM PDTAid workers accused of helping expose the abuse of children in Romanian hospitals have been forced out of their jobs.

HELSINKI COMMISSION TO EXAMINE STATE OF CARE FOR DISABLED IN ROMANIA

(Washington) – Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Chairman and Co-Chairman respectively of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission), announce that the Commission will hold a hearing entitled “Care for the Disabled in Romania” on September 13, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

In the early 1990s, images of Romanian children tied to cribs -- neglected, underfed, and often languishing in their own filth -- shocked the world and prompted calls for radical reform of Romania's care for disabled and disadvantaged children. The hearing will examine Romanian governmental and non-governmental perspectives on the current state of care of persons with disabilities in Romania.

The witnesses confirmed to testify at the hearing are: Silviu G. Didilescu, President, Romanian National Authority for Persons with Disabilities; Eric Rosenthal, Executive Director, Mental Disabilities Rights International; and Cristian Ispas, Founder and Director of Motivation Romania International and National Director of Special Olympics Romania Foundation.

For additional information about the hearing, please contact Shelly Han or Mark Kearney at (202) 225-1901.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government agency that monitors progress in the implementation of the 1975 Helsinki Accords.