SOS Children in Romania

Romania, in south-eastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, is comparable in size to Great Britain.

Since the overthrow of the Ceaucescu regime in 1990, Romania has had to struggle with enormous economic problems and even after thirteen years of transition, GDP and real wages are still less than their 1989 levels. Unemployment is high and as a result, 30 per cent of the population lives in poverty. It is estimated that over 40,000 children are living in institutions, mainly because of transition-related problems such as poverty, malnutrition, disabilities and HIV/AIDS.

We began working in Romania in 1990 when the downfall of Ceaucescu revealed to a horrified world the existence of thousands of handicapped and orphaned children living in appalling conditions. An agreement was signed between SOS Children and the Romanian government to build two SOS Children's Villages, which both opened in 1993.

SOS Children's Bucharest community is near the city centre on the edge of Lake Floreasca and has fifteen single-storey family houses built in the local style which are home to 90 children, as well as an SOS Youth Home for the older children where they can take their first guided steps towards an independent life. The Village also has an SOS Nursery for 60 children from the Village and the neighbourhood.

Continuing poverty in Cisnadie, caused largely by the decline of the textile industry, led to the establishment of a community outreach programme in 2000 for state schools and nurseries, providing support in the form of writing materials and food parcels. 

In spring 2006 SOS Children took over a children’s village which was initially founded by a Dutch children's charity organisation. It is situated in Hemeiusi, near Bacau.

As prevention of abandonment and poverty is a high priority of SOS Children's Villages in Romania, Family Strengthening Programmes were started in all three SOS Children’s Villages locations.

The aim of these programmes is to enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.

For more information about the work we do in Romania, see our page, Romanian Orphans.

SOS-Satele Copiilor Romania   

Str. Natatiei nr. 66B    
sector 1    
013325 Bucharest    
Romania               

Tel: +40/21/668 00 77, +40/21/668 00 90   

Fax: +40/21/668 00 72   

e-mail: sos@sos-satelecopiilor.ro