Permanency planning project : Pentru Fiecare Copil o Familie (PFCF) -- cooperative agreement no. EUR-0032-A-00-3046-00 -- final evaluation

The project was implemented by World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP), working through Pentru Fiecare Copil o Familie (PFCF), a Romanian entity created to ensure sustainability. In line with the recommendation of the mid-term evaluation, Resita in Judet Caras-Severin replaced Judet Arges as the project site because it indicated a high degree of collaboration between child care institutions and local government and as well as strong community support. Also, project objectives were redefined to include enhanced collaboration among child welfare institutions and between these institutions and local government. Under the project, five people were given intensive social work training, were affiliated with the Government of Romania's (GOR) child placement framework, and continue to receive supervision. These Social Assistants (SAs) work to identify and counsel mothers at risk of abandoning their children, facilitate obtaining of birth certificates within the prescribed 15 days after birth, and place abandoned and institutionalized children with extended or adoptive families. Their efforts have had a significant impact on the child placement system in Judet Caras-Severin: 86% of mothers have decided to keep their children, and in the remaining cases the SAs have been able to obtain the mother's cooperation in securing a birth certificate and declaring the child abandoned, which allows implementation of a permanent plan for the child's future. Community-based care is becoming the preferred strategy for institutionalized and abandoned children, and stakeholders are being identified and invited to participate in social services to children. A cadre of competent volunteers is being trained to support and extend this effort. Regularly scheduled case-review conferences take place at the Commission for the Protection of Minors and involve representatives of all relevant agencies, the SAs, and concerned families. In sum, PFCF has succeeded in taking the first step in establishing a Permanency Planning program in Judet Caras-Severin. Much has been accomplished in terms of establishing credibility with local GOR personnel and community leaders. Additional support is required for leadership development, improved governance, public education, and system-wide reinforcement. Additional and alternative financial resources need to be developed to gain independence from GOR and maintain credibility. The program has been resourceful in building links, collaborating with, and sharing resources with other PVOs. Lessons learned include the following. (1) Needs assessments, local input, site-selection criteria, and stakeholder involvement are critical factors in project success. (2) Training should be reinforced with guided practical application. Understanding the Romanian cultural and historical context and Romanian adaption of training material is critical to the impact of training programs. (3) Projects that model alternative systems delivery and/or behaviors reinforce their practical application. (4) Economic reform in Romania is lagging behind NGO development, making Board development and diversification of funding difficult. (5) Lack of social services is perhaps the greatest barrier to children leaving institutions and a contributing factor to children entering them. (6) Systematic and intensive internal training and supervision, in addition to external modular social work training, leads to the formation of a sustainable team of social work practitioners, recognized and welcomed by the stakeholders in the community. (7) There is risk to donor credibility and to NGO development when a project is abandoned before it develops adequate means to become sustainable. (8) Resources can be maximized and the outcomes multiplied when donors link grant recipients to one another. (9) Community interest and involvement based on expressed needs are essential.