ATHENS, October 2026 — The number of children in institutions in Greece has fallen below 1,000 for the first time, to 965, the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family said on Monday.
The first complete count, carried out in 2020, recorded about 2,200 children, according to the ministry. Its latest figure of 965 comes from the National Centre for Social Solidarity (EKKA).
Minister Domna Michailidou said the number of children in institutions has fallen by more than 50 per cent since 2019. The government’s goal is for children to live in families, not facilities, the ministry said.
“When we took office in 2019, we did not even know how many children were living in institutions,” Michailidou said. “That was the first thing we changed.”
Children in institutions since 2020
In 2019, the state did not know exactly how many children in institutions there were, the ministry said. Nor did it know who they were or what they needed.
Registering them was the first step. Since then, the government has speeded up procedures and strengthened foster care and adoption, Michailidou said. It also created new options for children with disabilities and for older teenagers.
Michailidou said the fall in children in institutions has a human side. “Behind this reduction are children who can now hope for a life outside the institution, with safety and stable care,” she said.
Foster care and independent living
In addition, the ministry has widened the options for care outside institutions. Emergency foster care lets a child who must leave their family at once move quickly into a safe family setting.
Similarly, professional foster care serves children with disabilities who need extra care and support, the ministry said.
Foster carers themselves have helped the system grow, according to the ministry. In Evia and Crete, their presence in local communities and the experience they shared attracted new applicants.
For older teenagers and young adults, 168 people now live in 57 semi-independent living apartments. There, they gradually prepare for life on their own.
The ministry tracks each child’s progress through Anynet, the foster care and adoption information system. At the same time, the EKKA 1107 helpline and a national register of child abuse reports help services coordinate.
Overall, the aim remains for every child to spend as little time as possible in a facility, the ministry said. Where possible, children should grow up in a safe and stable family.
Source: Proto Thema
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