Despite the high number of children in the protection system, the Romanian Government admitted that residential care has negative effects, especially on the development of young children, and has managed to substantially improve child protection services by developing family-type alternatives. Thus, two thirds of the children in the protection system are under family-type services at present. However, after the global crisis that affected the situation of children in the entire region, the reduction of the number of institutionalized children was significantly lower, both in Romania and in other countries in the region. On the one hand, given the serious worsening of living conditions and enhanced poverty, many families leave their children in institutions on a temporary or permanent basis. On the other hand, the capacity of the system decreased due to the blocking of positions in the public system and to the limited budget, especially the one dedicated to family services. Therefore, the reduced number of children in the child protection system remains a priority for the following years as well. In response to recent evolutions, the Government agreed to accelerate the de-institutionalisation process, a priority set out in various strategic documents, also in the National strategy for protecting and promoting children's rights 2014-2020, the National strategy on social inclusion and poverty reduction 2015-2020 and the Partnership agreement for the 2014-2020 programming period. The special protection system represents the range of measures, performances and services dedicated to the care and development of children who are temporarily or permanently left without the protection of their parents or those who cannot be left in the care of their parents, for their own benefit. Too many children in Romania are still separated from their natural families or subjected to various forms of violence or social exclusion. Romania is one of the countries who have forbidden violence against children, i.e. any humiliating or degrading physical punishment or treatment against children, based on the 2004 laws on promoting and protecting children’s rights. However, governmental authorities admitted that the impact of the laws will be limited if they are not enforced in a sustained and efficient manner, and children (especially those in vulnerable groups) 130