In compliance with national targets on the reduction of poverty and social exclusion set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, Romania drew up the National Strategy on social inclusion and poverty reduction 2015-2020. Based on this strategy, the Romanian government agrees to implement, by 2020, a set of policies and programmes with a view to: reducing the number of persons affected by poverty until 2020; interrupting the vicious generational cycle of poverty; preventing the reappearance of poverty and social exclusion and providing equal access to social assistance and services, with a view to increasing social cohesion. As a response to the issue of the poverty risk reaching a disproportionately high level among children and youth, both previously mentioned national strategies have set out the development of social services (increased coverage, access and quality) as a major priority for the following period. The supply of financial aid to the most vulnerable families is a necessary, but not sufficient approach. Actions have to focus on preventing the children’s separation from their families. This can only be done by developing services providing support to families and increased access to medical assistance, education, workplaces, suitable housing and other public services. Integrated services should be created to this purpose, ensuring the harmonization and alignment of the various programmes and interventions with the help of social workers and other certified and well-trained workers/professionals, both on an individual and a community level, as well as budget allocation making possible such services. The performance of so complex reforms depends on the capacity to coordinate the various public and private actors, as well as central and local authorities, but also the capacity to identify and the willingness to allocate suitable funds to cover the costs entailed by such reforms (UNICEF, ANPDCA and BM Report, Romania: Children in the child protection system, Bucharest, 2016). For situations when the special measure of placement with a residential service is decided, Romania, as a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff, as well as competent supervision. As stipulated by the European 132