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