Romania

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Recommendation

In coordination with county and local governments, the national government should establish coherent, long-term funding mechanisms for local social services to ensure that communities can sustain and expand essential programs beyond short-term, project-based funding through a multi-year funding model that provides stability for integrated community-based social services. Improved funding will also help to address the issue of low, non-competitive salaries, making it difficult to recruit sufficient LTC workers.

Social Services Policy and Legal Framework

Right to access social services ✅

Access to social services is acknowledged by the general framework for the organisation, operation and financing of Romania's national social assistance system LAW No. 292/2011 and LAW No. 100/2024, as well as Law no. 78/2014 on the regulation of volunteering activity and amended Law no. 272/2004 on the protection and promotion of the rights of the child.

Definition of social services ✅

Social Services are defined in Ordinance No. 68/2003. on social services. According to the definition, social services represent the complex set of measures and actions made to respond to the social needs of an individual, family, or group. They are made to prevent and overcome situations of difficulty, vulnerability, or dependence, preserve autonomy and protect the person, prevent marginalisation and social exclusion, promote social inclusion, and increase quality of life.

National catalogue of social services ❌

There is no national catalogue, but there is a map showing the geographic distribution of different categories of social services across Romania.

Strategic plan for social services ❌

There is no general strategic plan for social services, but there are strategic national plans for specific social services, such as the National strategy on long-term care and active ageing for 2023-2030.

Responsibilities of national/ regional/ local authorities 🤝

Article 2 of Government Ordinance No. 68 of August 28, 2003, defines the responsibilities of national, regional, and local authorities in relation to social services.

The Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family and its agencies, such as the Inspection Agency, are responsible for service accreditation, financing, approval of contracts between providers and local authorities, elaboration of quality standards, and monitoring of social services.

Local administration is responsible for the organisation, financing, and provision of social services, partnerships with other social services, and the financial and administrative monitoring of social services.

Non-for profit providers provide social services contracted out by local authorities.

Social Services Expenditure

Proportion of GDP spent on Social Services*

Social services expenditure: € 27,474,841.98 = 0.0134 % of national GDP (2023).

This includes a) grants to associations and foundations, b) financing of investments, capital repairs and equipment for day care and residential centres, and c) financing of 38 types of social services for older people.

COVERAGE

Long-term care (LTC) for older people

Older people aged 65+: 3,966,066 / 20 % of total population

Older people with serious limitations (= in need of LTC): 242,000 / 6 % of older people aged 65+

Source: CNAS - National Health Insurance System

38 % of people who receive long-term care are in residential care, 25 % in home care, 20 % in day care and 11 % in medical-social residential care. The total number of LTC recipients seems not to match the estimated number of people with LTC needs.

Source: Worldbank 2022 & CNAS - National Health Insurance System