Blue Dot - Providing Critical Support To Refugees From Ukraine
Blue Dots are dedicated refugee children and family support hubs. They cover the most immediate needs of children and women, in an integrated manner.
- Available in:
- English
- Română
The Blue Dots are dedicated refugee children and family support hubs and represent an integrated model that provides support for the most immediate needs of children and women.
These hubs include child-friendly spaces and offer integrated services including:
- family reunification and restoring family links;
- information and counseling;
- registration of the most vulnerable;
- spaces dedicated to mothers and babies/ young children psychological therapy;
- first aid on hygiene, health and nutrition;
- basic legal advice;
- referral services for cases of violence or health conditions, etc.
- blankets, warm clothes, sanitary kits, toys, hygiene products and baby food.
Currently, there are Blue Dot hubs and other support hubs for children and women, in the border crossing areas at Sighetu Marmației, Siret, Isaccea, Albița, Huși, Iași as well as in Brașov and Bucharest.
The Blue Dots are a network of support hubs that UNICEF jointly set up with its partners, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities through the National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoption, UNHCR, local authorities, county authorities and local NGOs.
In the 8 months since the beginning of the war, over 170.000 children and women had access to UNICEF-supported safe spaces, protection and support hubs, including Blue Dots functioning in Romania.
The purpose of Blue Dot Hubs
UNICEF is working with partners to establish Blue Dots at all border crossings with Ukraine and at other locations within Romania, following the flow of children affected by the situation in Ukraine. The purpose is to “connect the (Blue) dots” to ensure all children are monitored, traced, protected and will arrive safely at the destination.
On medium and long term, UNICEF works with the Romanian Government, local authorities and NGOs so that all children entering Romania are registered in a platform that allows effective case management for the most vulnerable children, as well as monitoring access to services. It is also desired that those children who remain in Romania, in different areas of the country, or who only transit Romania to another country, benefit from access to the same type of services under the umbrella of the Blue Dots regardless of the area or country they transit. The platform will allow also exchange of information so the authorities from the area/ country of destination will know in advance the situation of children and their needs.
UNICEF is working together with the Romanian Government, local authorities, UNHCR (The United Nations Commissioner for Refugees) and other UN agencies, and non-government organizations to monitor the inflow of Ukrainian refugees, their needs and vulnerabilities and to offer immediate support for the children.
The Blue Dot in Sighetu Marmației
The Sighetu Marmației Blue Dot was the first out of many Blue Dots that UNICEF is helping to set up in the region in response to the crisis in Ukraine to provide support and continuity of services to children and women, especially the most vulnerable such as unaccompanied minors, children with disabilities and children from residential centers.
The Blue Dot in Siret
The second Blue Dot in Romania became operational in March, 2022 at the Siret border crossing after the service providers from Suceava General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection were trained in Sighetu Marmației.
