This research report reviews international approaches to competency frameworks and in-service training for the social service workforce, drawing on experiences from the United Kingdom, Romania, Germany, France, Sweden, Poland, and other countries.

This technical brief examines how the meaningful participation of children and young people with lived experience (PWLE) in alternative care can strengthen child protection systems, improve service quality, and influence policy reform. It presents international examples from Ireland, Scotland, the United Kingdom, Moldova, Kenya, Romania, Albania, and the United States, illustrating how children and care leavers contribute to individual case planning, service design, regulatory monitoring, advocacy, and national care reform.

This case study examines Romania's experience in developing a structured supervision system for the social sector workforce and identifies lessons applicable to strengthening supervision in Ukraine. The publication traces the evolution of supervision from early NGO-led initiatives to its integration into national legislation, occupational standards, quality assurance mechanisms, and university education programmes.

This article describes how Romania is in the final stages of closing its old orphanages, a process which began in the 1990s, when more than 100,000 children were living in such institutions.

This qualitative study explores how educational resilience and institutional support shape the transition experiences of young people leaving residential care in Romania. Through interviews with care leavers and professionals, it examines the role of relationships, mentorship, education, and aftercare in supporting social integration.

This study of young people in residential care in Romania finds that childhood trauma and maladaptive coping are linked to poorer perceived social skills, while adaptive coping is associated with better outcomes. It also shows that self-efficacy plays a key moderating role, highlighting the importance of building both confidence and adaptive coping skills to support healthy social development regardless of trauma exposure.

A turning point in the campaign to close Romania’s dungeon-like orphanages and cruel homes for the disabled came with the shutting of Camin Spital, a grim block near the Ukrainian border with bars on the windows to stop people from jumping to their deaths.

Studiul sociologic „Implementarea programelor și activităților de sprijin familial primar și a altor activități comunitare centrate pe consolidarea familiei” este un prim studiu realizat în Republica Moldova, cu scopul cartografierii programelor și a activităților de sprijin primar existente prin evaluarea relevanței, a eficienței, durabilității, dificultăților și a bunelor practici. Rezultatele cercetării  au informat elaborarea conceptului și procesul pilotării unui model eficientizat de sprijin primar al familiilor cu copii. Modelul eficientizat al serviciului  urmează să consolideze acțiunile viitoare ale actorilor comunitari în sprijinirea familiilor pentru a putea depăși situațiile de risc.

Dr. Stefania Ilinca of the World Health Organization highlights the importance of nurturing family care, especially for younger children, and the need to ensure early childhood intervention and disability services are accessible at the community level.

The current study examined irritability in 107 16-year-olds with a history of institutional care from a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care and 49 community comparison children.