CAUSE OF ACTION. Romani Children in State Care in Nógrád County (Hungary)
CAUSE OF ACTION. Romani Children in State Care in Nógrád County (Hungary)

Author(s): Author Not Specified
Subject(s): Education, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Social Norms / Social Control
Published by: European Roma Rights Center
Keywords: Public Care; Romani Children; children in state-care institutions;
Summary/Abstract: The Chance for Children Public Benefit Association (Gyerekesély Közhasznú Egyesület) in Hungary conducted a study for the ERRC of children in Nógrád County who have been removed from the care of their families and are in the public care system.2 Nógrád County is located northeast of Budapest, on the border with Slovakia. The study specifically focuses on the county’s child welfare and child protection systems. Through both quantitative and qualitative approaches, researchers collected data on the circumstances of and reasons for taking into care. The research respected the privacy ofthe families concerned while providing a survey of how Romani children so frequently end up in care. By focusing at the county level, the study remained manageable while covering a broad enough area to demonstrate a pattern. The key finding in the study was quantitative: Romani children are vastly overrepresented in the care system. Yet there were other key findings too: in most cases taking children into care does not seem to have been justified. Interviews with key actors also revealed the prejudice that seems to be the main cause ofthe problem.

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