Severe poverty dramatically affects children in Romania

Romania is facing an alarming situation regarding child poverty, according to a recent survey by the organization Save the Children Romania: the percentage of minors affected by severe poverty is almost three times higher than the European Union average. The situation is even more serious in the case of children whose parents have a low educational level - they inherit poverty, in a vicious circle that is difficult to break without solid public interventions.

• Poverty, transmitted between generations

The survey conducted by Save the Children among parents and guardians of children enrolled in the organization's programs shows a grim picture: 78% of respondents with low education had mothers in the same situation. 48% of parents declare that their fathers did not graduate beyond high school. These data confirm that material poverty is closely linked to the lack of access to education, which leads to inequality of opportunity from childhood. The effects are particularly visible in remote areas and in communities marked by social exclusion.

• Participation in education, impossible without support

According to Save the Children, 58% of families with children integrated into the organization's educational programs cannot support the costs related to their children's education without external support. The percentage increases dramatically, to 87%, among those in subjective poverty, and to 70% among parents with a low educational level. "We observe that the inability to meet educational expenses reaches alarming levels among those with multiple vulnerabilities: low educational level, precarious occupations or lack of stable income. This reality should alarm political decision-makers," warns the organization.

• Statistical data: Romania, the EU's laggard in social inclusion of children

According to the organization, 33.8% of Romanian children were living, in 2024, at risk of poverty or social exclusion, a worrying percentage compared to the EU average. In the case of children with poorly educated parents, the proportion rises sharply, to 75.8%. Moreover, 17.2% of children in Romania suffer from severe material or social deprivation, compared to an EU average of only 6.4%. This discrepancy highlights a chronic lack of coherent public policies, the organization claims.

• Warning regarding the Government's new economic measures

In the context of the new fiscal and budgetary measures announced by the Government, Save the Children is sounding the alarm: without integrated and well-funded social policies, economic measures risk disproportionately affecting precisely the most vulnerable children. "It is essential that economic decisions take into account the social impact. Vulnerable children must be protected through concrete measures, not further marginalized,” the organization warns.

• Summer kindergartens and mobile school: concrete solutions on the ground

To combat school dropout and lack of access to education, Save the Children continues this summer with the "Summer Kindergartens” project, now in its 28th edition, as well as the "Mobile School” program, aimed at children in isolated areas. The organization's data shows that, in 27 years of summer activities, over 17,000 children have been supported both pedagogically, socially and economically. In the summer of 2025, over 1,500 children from Bucharest and 11 other counties will benefit from these programs. Of these, 300 are preschoolers, organized into 17 groups, and the rest are students from vulnerable groups: children affected by poverty, children with parents working abroad and children from Roma communities.

• Presence in kindergarten: below the EU average

The organization draws attention to the fact that in the 2023-2024 school year, only 75.7% of preschool children in Romania were enrolled in kindergarten, compared to the European average of 94.6%. This major difference is reflected in gaps in development and educational performance that deepen over time. The cases presented by Save the Children clearly show that poverty and lack of education are transmitted from generation to generation, and one-off interventions are no longer enough. An integrated national strategy is needed to ensure equal access to education, economic support for disadvantaged families, professional training for parents and prevention programs in vulnerable communities.