This book presents the results of this research on more than 52,000 children placed in public care in Romania (in special protection) who receive family or residential-type protection services, as shown in Intrograph Chart 1, as well as on the children at risk of separation from their families from the source communities. In order to fulfill the research objectives, various quantitative and qualitative data were collected by means of: (i) a survey of households with children in public care in rural source communities; (ii) case studies in urban source communities; (iii) an analysis of the case files of children in public care (in the special protection system), including adoption forms; (iv) a survey of case managers; and (v) focus groups with specialists and with children in public care.
The whole analysis in this volume is child-centered, encompassing both children in the special protection system and children at risk of separation from their family. We attempt to answer the following questions. What is their profile? What families do they come from? By which routes do they enter the system? Which are the root causes of their separation from the family? What kind of community support have they received, if any, before entering the system? How does the transition from family to public care occur? How are children placed in different types of services? How are individualized plans of intervention developed? By which routes do they leave the system? What are their chances of being reintegrated into the family? The themes addressed are organized according to the ANPDCA’s vision in three phases: (1) before entering the system; (2) within the system; and (3) leaving the system.
In addition to the data used in this volume, data on institutional practices were also collected, such as transfers within the system, protection measures, case management, and the effects of special protection services on children’s development. These results will be presented in a separate volume, which is currently being written.
The results presented in this book have been and will be discussed with the central and local authorities in Romania in order to identify the priority steps required to advance the reform of and increase investments to the child protection system reform. Some of the study’s preliminary data were presented in meetings organized in 2014 and 2015 with the representatives of the General Directorates for Social Assistance and Child Protection and of non-governmental organizations.