Székely said in a statement sent to MTI on Thursday that the practice revealed by the survey breaches obligations included in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and severely violates the child’s right to be raised and looked after in a family.

The survey was completed in Budapest, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Nógrád County, Pest County and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.

Székely called for coordinated social policy measures in order to fulfil a child’s right to be raised in a family, and said further measures were needed to increase the number of temporary foster parents.

He also called for the establishment of a professional working group to work out ways to prevent the problem through social policy measures.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.