Hungarian child protection faces chronic staff vacancies and rising workplace aggression

During a session of the parliamentary committee investigating the systemic crisis in child protection, Andráczi-Tóth Veronika of the Szociális és Családügyi Minisztérium reported that a significant share of jobs in the sector are unfilled, making it hard to keep existing staff and hire new workers. She described how professionals regularly face verbal and physical aggression that hampers their work. Committee members also discussed the ongoing problem of hundreds of children remaining in hospitals, especially in Budapest and eastern regions, and the broader difficulties in the national adoption system.

The discussion referenced a recent government child-protection report and a comprehensive bill proposed by the Tisza Párt. Recent legislative changes aim to improve care for infants left in hospitals, while an EU court ruling has questioned the compatibility of earlier Hungarian child-protection laws with EU values.