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1. Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority

4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion

The National strategy regarding social inclusion and poverty reduction for the period 2022—2027 (Strategia Națională privind incluziunea socială și reducerea sărăciei pentru perioada 2022—2027) was adopted on 30 March 2022 (through the Government Decision no. 440/2022 for the approval of the strategy).

Moreover, the National Youth Strategy 2024-2027 also includes an objective to promote social inclusion, education and employment opportunities for young people.

Scope and contents

In the field of youth social inclusion, the National Strategy on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction 2022–2027 includes measures targeting both children and young people under 18, as well as young adults, structured as follows:

1. Social benefits: Measures aimed at increasing financial support for all beneficiaries of social inclusion schemes, including young people.

2. Inclusive education for vulnerable groups: Measures supporting the inclusion of vulnerable children and young people, including those with disabilities, in education. These include:

• updating grants to cover accommodation, transport, and meals for vulnerable young people enrolled in VET;

• supporting early school leavers to return to education through the Second Chance national program); 

• information campaigns addressing bullying and violence in schools;

• targeted support for students with disabilities;

• targeted measures for students with an immigrant background.

3. Employment support services: Continued provision of services for young people at risk of social marginalisation, aimed at facilitating access to employment (as detailed in Chapter 3 of Youth Wiki).

4. Social housing: Development of social housing, with a focus on young people, particularly those leaving the special protection system.

5. Transition from care to independence: Measures to support the socio-professional integration of young people leaving the special protection system.

6. Reintegration of young offenders: Strengthening cross-institutional cooperation to support the social reintegration of minors and young people who have committed offences.

7. Youth participation: Improving mechanisms for the participation of children, adolescents, and young people in decision-making processes that affect them, including the ones related to social inclusion (access to benefits and services).

The National Youth Strategy 2024-2027 includes the following main measures aiming at supporting youth inclusion:

1. Support for young people with disability, especially concerning their participation to non-formal activities, such as summer camps;

2. Support measures for young people form penitentiaries;

3. Counselling and other forms of support for young people with parents working abroad;

4. Support for the socio-professional insertion of young people leaving the special protection system;

5. Support for trainers and teachers to work with vulnerable young people;

6. Supporting good practice exchange concerning youth inclusion between NGOs and public institutions;

7. Creating participation mechanisms for vulnerable young people, including immigrants and refugees;

8. Support for housing for young people.

While some planned measures overlap, coordination between the two strategies is ensured by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity. Implementation is carried out through dedicated programmes, including the EU-funded Social Inclusion and Dignity Programme and the Education and Employment Programme, in line with the action plans of each strategy. This approach helps prevent duplication of measures.

Responsible authority

There is no unique responsible authority for the implementation of the social inclusion measures. Different measures are in the responsibility of different authorities, as follows:

• The Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity coordinates the implementation of the National Youth Strategy 2024-2027.

• the National Authority for Children Protection and Adoptions (NACPA) under the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity coordinates the General Offices for Social Assistance and Children Protection, at county level, for the implementation all measures regarding young people from the special protection system, including young people leaving the special protection system;

• all measures regarding activities in schools are supervised by the Ministry of Education;

• the National Employment Agency and its local offices, under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity has to implement all measures including activities aiming at the employment of vulnerable young people.

Revisions/Updates

The National Strategy on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction 2015-2020 (Government Decision no. 383/2015 for the approval of the strategy) and the Youth Strategy 2015-2020 (Government Decision no. 24/2015 for the approval of the strategy) have been the strategic framework for the youth social inclusion policies in Romania before March 2022.

In the field of social inclusion of youth, the two strategies have included measures targeting children and young people under 18 and measures targeting young adults. The most important of these measures have been continued and included new strategic framework adopted after 2022, as they respond to long-term needs. These measures are:

1. The School after school national program targets disadvantaged schools and provides hot meals and after-school tutoring. It aims to support vulnerable children and young people and prevent early school leaving. Initially piloted in 50 schools, the programme has since been expanded nationwide.

2. The Second Chance national program is designed for early school leavers and offers a flexible educational pathway to help them complete their compulsory education.

3. The socio-professional insertion of young people leaving the special protection system, supported by EU funding (through the Human Capital Operational Programme). The support includes Transit Centres, Social Apartments, social housing, and support services for the socio-professional integration of young people leaving the special protection system. Transit Centres are temporary accommodation and support facilities that provide short-term housing combined with counselling, social services, and guidance for independent living. Social Apartments refer to individual or shared housing units allocated to vulnerable persons, including young people leaving care, offering stable living conditions at subsidised costs.