Hospital staff are caring for infants in wards originally designed for medical treatment—infants who may no longer necessarily require hospitalization. They open separate rooms for them, reassign staff to care for them, and feed and change their diapers. What is hardest to replace is the constant presence of a caregiver and the secure attachment that comes with it.
Based on remarks made at the SOS Children’s Villages professional roundtable on October 7, Index reported that there are approximately 300 infants in long-term care in hospitals. Behind this number lies constant turnover: some babies are discharged from the wards, while others arrive to take their place.
Erika Szarvas from Budapest, a child protection guardian with the capital city’s TEGYESZ organization, participated in the discussion. In her experience, there is a significant difference in the kind of assistance individual hospitals are able to provide to parents in crisis. Due to a shortage of social workers, many tasks fall to public health nurses.
## The crisis begins earlier
“The crisis doesn’t begin in the delivery room,” said Emőke Both, Deputy State Secretary for Child Protection. Among the life situations she listed were extreme poverty, dropping out of school early, human trafficking, prostitution, and drug use.
As a result, the parents of babies who remain in the hospital often find themselves in a situation of severe vulnerability. Edit Kelemen, chief physician at the Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, spoke about how difficult it is to tell a mother that, due to an official decision, she cannot take her child home with her.
In the doctor's experience, the vast majority of these babies do not need long-term institutional care. In her career she has met only one child whose health genuinely ruled out placement with a foster or adoptive family.
## The wait could be a long one
According to the regulations reported by Index, infants left at the hospital can be put up for adoption after six weeks. However, this does not mean that they will be placed with a family after six weeks. Adoptive parents are less likely to take in a child born with an illness or intellectual disability, and the child’s Roma heritage can also be a barrier.
The wait can therefore last for months, or even years in extreme cases. This period is particularly long in the life of an infant: while the infant’s physical needs are met, it can be difficult to form the consistent bond necessary for the infant’s development with hospital staff who work in shifts.
The scale of the problem extends far beyond the infant wards. Approximately 21,000 children are in the child welfare system, and another 1,500 are awaiting placement. The majority of the latter are older minors who are currently living in high-risk environments.
## Looking for a temporary family
The government plans to launch a network of crisis foster families. Under this plan, infants would be placed with such families for a few months while a decision is made regarding their adoption or return to their biological families.
This is a particularly difficult role. The foster parent must quickly create the sense of security the baby needs, while knowing that the relationship may end once the child’s permanent placement is arranged.
According to Emőke Both, social workers have been assisting hospitals since October 1. A review of the relevant legislation has also begun, and a nationwide investigation has been conducted to assess the situation. In addition, experts have called for the strengthening of existing infant care facilities and the development of primary care services to support families.
Source: Index
