Romania: The orphans from back then | European Journal

Twenty years ago, shocking photos from Romanian orphanages went around the world. The situation in the orphanages has improved, but many Romanian children still grow up without any parents.The terrible conditions in Romanian orphanages did not become known until the end of the Ceauşescu dictatorship: neglected, apathetic children sitting in their own excrement on rotten straw. The reports triggered a wave of foreign assistance. Churches and other organizations stepped in to oversee the many homes. But one result has been that parents now put their children in orphanages, believing they'll have it better there than at home.