Romania
After 24 years under a brutal communist dictatorship, Romania became a democratic country in 1991. Its capital is Bucharest. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. The country extends inland halfway across the Balkan Peninsula, occupies portions of the Danube River basin, and lies on both sides of the Carpathian Mountains.
Bethany Social Services Foundation of Romania (FBSS) began its activities in 1991 and has been a legally registered non-governmental organization (NGO) since 1994. FBSS continues to focus on three strategies:
- To develop professional social services for children and families
- To increase the professional level of Romania’s social services
- To increase community involvement in addressing child welfare issues
FBSS’s core continuum of child and family welfare services includes:
- Domestic (in-country) adoption and post-adoption services
- Foster care, including foster care for children with special needs
- Family preservation
- Deinstitutionalization
- Permanency planning
- Counseling and education, including a new project that focuses on suicide prevention
- Life skills training for youth
Over the years, Bethany has been heavily involved in working for system change and strengthening Romania’s social services system. FBSS has worked with university social work programs to develop curriculum and train social workers. It has also been active in the creation of the Romania national child welfare standards.
FBSS has also been involved in raising public awareness and increasing community involvement in child welfare issues. These efforts have included:
- Recruitment and training of community volunteers for its own programs and those of other NGOs.
- Fund-raising and publicity campaigns, such as the “Inima Buna” campaign.
- Organizing community leaders to support community-based services.
Its “Come on Over” project created a cross-border network of NGOs to collaborate on child protection services in both Romania
and Serbia.
FBSS works in partnership with a variety of national and local government offices and NGOs. It is grateful for the recognition and support it has received from not only Bethany Christian Services, but also from the Government of Romania, USAID, World Learning, the European Union’s Phare program, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Soros Foundation, and the Vodafone Foundation. With continued financial support, Bethany’s goal is to strengthen its core services and to replicate these services in other communities.
Family Support
Family Preservation Project
Temporary Care
Foster Care for Children With Special Needs
Systems Development
Volunteers for Children
