Romania

Romania is home to more than 3.7 million children who live across the country in 103 municipalities, 320 towns, and in 2.859 communes. Despite the significant progress in the past 30 years, three in ten children in Romania are affected by severe material and social deprivation. Besides, Romania has the highest rate of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the European Union (41.7 %) and it increased for the second consecutive year, almost double the EU average.

Over 300,000 children do not complete compulsory education, nearly 50 % do not have basic literacy and numeracy skills at age 15 (PISA). Infant mortality rate has slightly increased in 2021 at 5.6‰ (1,008 deaths). Half of all child deaths occur in the first 28 days of a child's life (neonatal period). Although the teenage pregnancies decreased by 20% over the past five years, it remains at a worrying level of (15,811 teenage pregnancies among adolescents aged 15-19 in Romania in 2021). In the case of adolescents under 15, the number of pregnancies decreased in the past two years, but North-West and North-East regions showed an increase by 11%.

Children from vulnerable groups have poor access to health, education and social services and face discrimination. These children are also more exposed to violence, separation from their families and placement in residential or alternative care arrangements or in special schools. Social and gender norms negatively affect their social inclusion and limit their participation. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these vulnerable children even more vulnerable.

Since 2019, when Romania held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Government and UNICEF have championed child participation at both national and EU levels.

By improving access to health and social services at the community level and fostering access to early learning and to quality inclusive education, all children will benefit from breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and exclusion and enjoy more inclusive development, opportunities and social inclusion. When discrimination and negative social norms are addressed, Roma children, children with disabilities and children living in poverty are part of and contribute to the community life.

The war in Ukraine and the consequent massive influx of over 2,940,266 refugees (as of 5^th of March 2023) crossing into Romania from either Ukraine or Moldova, out of which 110,921 Ukrainian refugees are currently registered in Romania, has had a major impact on Romania.

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (Inițiativa Localități Prietene ale Copiilor) seeks to address these inequities at the local level. The initiative has been launched in June 2021 in three cities and two communes as part of a pilot project. Informed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals, the initiative seeks to strengthen data collection, local planning, monitoring and budgeting, community empowerment and child participation, development and coordination of services, awareness raising and communication, child-friendly policies and capacity building of local government officials and children.

Two other municipalities – Deva and Bucharest (the capital of the country) - joined the initiative in 2021 and respectively in 2022.

Key results:

• A concept for the implementation of the CFCI to guide implementation of the initiative at national level.
• TORs for the National Coordinating Body (NCB), Local Steering Committees (LSC) and Local Coordination Units (LCU) drafted.
• A National Coordinating Body (NCB) established to oversee the implementation of the initiative at national level. It includes 18 representatives of the government, civil society organisations, mayors’ associations, academia and children. The NCB members were trained on CFCI and held regular meetings (every six months).
• Seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) signed with the cities of Bacau, Moinesti, Brasov, Deva and Bucharest, and Colonești and Corbasca communes.
• Local Steering Committees (LSC) to coordinate the implementation of the CFCI at local level and Local Coordination Units (LCU) to implement the initiative and promote child participation were set up in six localities, trained on CFCI (96 members) and held regular meetings (every three months).
• A CFCI menu of indicators developed based on the three global criteria for becoming a Child Friendly City.
• Mapping of children’s structures in five localities conducted.
• One-hundred-and-fifteen children from five localities trained in five CFCI orientation workshops, including children's rights, child participation, involvement in the CFCI, and selection process for children's consultative structures.
• 540 children aged 11-17 participated in 15 workshops in five localities and discussed children's rights, financial education, combating drug abuse and bullying, preventing school drop-out, sport.
• Five Children’s Local Councils were established with 90 child members aged 11-17 to participate in the decision-making processes at local level. They were officially recognized through decisions of the elected Local Councils. Children discussed with mayors, local counsellors, and other local authorities about access to education, leisure opportunities, safety, or inclusion of children from vulnerable groups.
• A Children’s Mayor was elected in Colonesti commune. Candidates prepared their electoral campaign and projects/solutions to children's problems.
• Members of the Children's Councils in Brasov, Colonesti and Corbasca presented their activities, results and discussed about the vulnerable groups, the biggest problems children face and what would they do if they were mayors for one day in meetings with UNICEF Representative.
• Children Local Councils in five localities participated in the budget planning process at local level for 2023 and mainstreamed their proposals in the approved budgets.

Next steps for 2023

• Terms of Reference for the child rights situation analyses to be finalized and posted.
• Conduct child rights situation analyses in the seven municipalities and communes and develop local action plans based on local consultations with the key stakeholders and children.
• Award the title of candidate for Child Friendly City for the seven localities.
• Start implementation of the local action plans and monitoring of their implementation.