Action
UNICEF Romania has a unique position to bring together various stakeholders, to promote dialogue and interaction among partners, supporting the development of consensus and the advancing of an agenda.
Its limited financial contribution was leveraged by EU funding, and it provided up-to-date knowledge, based on high quality research in a few key child-related areas. Some of UNICEF’s results and best practices with Romanian partners have been found useful in other countries in the region.
Technical assistance for system strengthening
After having mapped the existing childcare system in 2004, UNICEF provided technical assistance for the design and implementation of the desired reform, which included:
- New legislation on the promotion and protection of child rights and a National Plan for the implementation of such legislation;
- A National Strategy for the Promotion and Protection of Child Rights;
- National Plans of Action for the Prevention of Child Abandonment, Child Trafficking, Child Labour, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation;
- Minimum quality standards for services, as well as methodological implementation guidelines for children in residential care, children with disabilities, repatriated children, children victims of trafficking, children living and working on the street, and children below the age of criminal responsibility.
Based on this new legal framework, some models of good practice for access to quality, integrated community-based services were developed in five counties, aimed at the most vulnerable and marginalised children. Particular emphasis was placed on promoting the strengthening of a protective environment for vulnerable groups at risk, thereby helping children to avoid entering the public care system.
Capacity building in the decentralization process
Special attention was given to building capacity for strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of the elements of the system reform, at both central and local levels. This included increasing central level knowledge and capacity through dissemination and training on the new legislation, standards, and methodologies for implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
