Blighted Lives: Romani Children in State Care

02 February 2021

This five-country wide round of research into the situation of Romani children in state care marks the latest in a decade-long series of interventions by the European Roma Rights Centre. The research covers four EU Member States: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia, as well as neighbouring Moldova. This research shows that across the surveyed countries, and despite denials concerning ethnically disaggregated data, the evidence leaves little doubt that a disproportionate number of Romani children still end up in institutionalised state care.

Simultaneously the ERRC is concerned about a lack of progress on meaningful deinstitutionalisation in these countries, which goes beyond closing of children’s homes and includes community and family-based care solutions. The ERRC calls on national governments and the European Commission to commit to finally ending the blight of children’s care institutions, which so often irreparably damage the lives of young Romani people.

This report is available in English (PDF)
This report is available in Bulgarian (PDF)
This report is available in Romanian (PDF)