Romania is stepping up reforms to protect children

BUCHAREST, 25 August 2026 - The Acting Minister for Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, Dragoș Pîslaru, met on Monday with a UNICEF delegation led by Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The discussion focused on Romania’s progress in the field of children’s rights and opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the Romanian Government and UNICEF, as well as the role Romania can play in the region in supporting reforms for children.

UNICEF commended the significant and steady progress made by Romania over the last three decades in protecting and promoting children’s rights.

This includes the reform of the child protection system, which has reduced the number of children in residential care from approximately 100,000 in the early 1990s to 9,390 today, as well as the development of community-based support services for children and families. UNICEF also commended Romania for the progress in reducing the risk of poverty and social exclusion among children. The rate for children at risk of poverty and exclusion fell from 39 per cent in 2023 to 32.4 per cent in 2025, bringing Romania closer to the targets set under the European Child Guarantee. 

“The figures show us that Romania has made progress, but also how much work we still have to do. A child should not have fewer opportunities simply because they were born in a village, in a low-income family or dozens of kilometres away from the services they need. That is why the next step is to actually bring services to where vulnerable children and families are. Expanding integrated services to 2,000 rural communities is one of the most important social investments we are making right now: social care, healthcare and education must reach families together, rather than families being sent from one institution to another. This is the change we want to see on the ground, and it is by this that we must measure the success of our policies for children,” said the Acting Minister for Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, Dragoș Pîslaru. 

“Romania’s experience – having made remarkable strides over the last three decades towards children’s wellbeing and protection – offers valuable lessons for the entire region and internationally. The solutions developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour – ranging from integrated community services to the implementation of the European Child Guarantee and children’s participation in decision-making – demonstrate the value of the partnership between the authorities and multilateral organisations. UNICEF continues to have an important role to play in Romania and across the region in terms of technical assistance and the exchange of knowledge and good practice in the area of children’s rights,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director.

A key focus of the discussions was the roll-out of integrated community services across 2,000 rural communities, one of the most important measures set out under the European Child Guarantee. UNICEF will continue to work with the Romanian Government to implement this strategic initiative, with emphasis placed on Romania’s significant contribution through the European Child Guarantee Learning Lab, a learning and cooperation platform that supports accession and pre-accession countries in translating their commitments for children into action.