The Czech Republic is one of the last European countries where it is still possible to place a child younger than three years of age in an institution.

The current Action Plan of the Czech government anticipates that by 2020, placing young children in institutions will be banned, the maximum capacity levels of orphanages will be reached, and child care will unite under one authority - the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

"I'd be happy if we could achieve what the Slovaks did. They went through this transformation many years ago," says Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Michaela Marks.

Today the majority of funding (52 percent) goes to institutions, less than a third goes to foster care, and only 19 percent on prevention and working with families.

Ministers' views differ

Marks wants the ratio to be reversed, so there will be more money on prevention and family work. According to her, unifying childcare under one department will improve it.

This position is rejected by Minister of Education Kateřina Valachová, who wants to keep orphanages under her supervision. Preventing children from being removed from their families due to social and housing reasons should ensure children's protection, Valachová says.

Health Minister Miloslav Ludvík is also against such unification, saying, "I think that all kinds of childcare facilities have its meaning and place. This is the case of nurseries that care for severely disabled children under three years. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is too revolutionary on this issue."

The push to transform childcare in the Czech Republic is much needed and long overdue, but, at least for now, children must continue to wait on the government to agree and act.