Survey: 58% of the children whose parents work abroad want them to return to Romania

 A survey conducted by Save the Children Romania/Salvati Copiii Romania shows that 58% of children whose parents are working abroad would like them to return to Romania. At the same time, 20% of the children said they would prefer to move to the country where their parents live, while 21% were unable to indicate a preference.According to a press release issued by the organisation on Thursday, the survey was carried out as part of a project funded by the Department for Romanians Abroad among children benefiting from Save the Children Romania programmes whose parents are working overseas.Although their parents are abroad, they remain the main source of emotional support for many of the children. In difficult moments, 44% said they first turn to their parents for support, even from a distance, highlighting the importance of maintaining regular communication between parents and children. A further 23% seek help from a teacher, school counsellor or social worker at their school or through Save the Children; 16% turn to the relatives they live with, such as grandparents or other family members; 13% rely on a friend, while 4% said they do not ask anyone for help.For many children, the experience of separation is also accompanied by changes in their relationships with those around them. Some 35% of respondents said they had felt that other children at school, or even some adults, treated them differently because their parents were working in another country. Of these, 71% said they had been mocked or treated unpleasantly, while 29% reported receiving greater attention, support and assistance. For 52% of the children, relationships with those around them remained unchanged after their parents left to work abroad.When asked how often they are able to talk to their parents about things that upset or make them happy at school, 39% said they do so every day, 27% several times a week, 12% once a week, 17% less frequently, while 4% said they preferred to discuss such matters with someone else.Save the Children Romania is launching the 2026 edition of its "Call Them Every Day! Connection Beyond Borders" project, funded by the Department for Romanians Abroad and aimed at Romanian parents working overseas. The project forms part of the organisation's long-running national campaign of the same name, which brings together a range of initiatives designed to support children who remain in Romania and their families.In addition to activities aimed at parents in the Romanian diaspora, the campaign includes initiatives targeting the people caring for children left behind, community members, and professionals in the fields of social care and education, with the goal of supporting children's emotional wellbeing and helping them maintain their relationship with parents working abroad. The campaign is supported by the National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoption, the Romanian Border Police, and the airports of Craiova, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi and Suceava.The project's objective is to raise awareness among Romanian parents working abroad of the needs of the children they have left at home, the importance of maintaining communication with them and with their carers, and of preserving links with their home communities.The project will run from July to October, with an approved budget of 351,086 lei.