The HHC-ARK Partnership for Romania

Hope and Homes for Children has been working with Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) since 2002 to close large-scale children’s institutions and establish family-based alternatives.

Building on the success of this work, Hope and Homes for Children and ARK have launched the HHC-ARK Partnership for Romania that will close the remaining large-scale institutions in Maramures county and accelerate reform in Bacau county.

Overall, six institutions will be closed in a 30 month period, moving 495 children from institutions to families or alternative care, and benefit another 3,000 children through prevention services, reintegration and foster care work.

In the past 15 years Romania has undergone a dramatic reform of its childcare care system by reducing the number of children in institutions from 100,000 to just over 20,000. However, 183 large institutions remain and children continue to be placed in institutions due to the lack of alternative services.

ARK and Hope and Homes for Children are committed to ending the institutionalisation of children. The HHC-ARK Partnership for Romania is increasing the capacity and knowledge of local authorities and childcare professionals in both counties and will establish a benchmark for reform.

The creation of these partnership projects will act as a catalyst for systemic change and influence the closure of the remaining large-scale institutions across the country. This would make Romania the first country in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to complete the transition from a system based on institutions, to one which puts the needs and rights of children first.

Furthermore, the success of this project will act as a beacon for other countries in the region that are at an earlier stage in their reform of childcare systems.

Find out more about ARK.

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