One More Day Bucharest

On June 16, 2026, we climbed the steps of the Romanian Parliament with a simple message: for many parents raising their children alone, time is one of the hardest resources to find.

This is how One More Day came about – a legislative initiative proposing an amendment to the Labor Code granting an additional day of paid annual leave to people who have minor children in their care and are raising them alone.

Most of the time, responsibilities that in a two-parent family are shared between two adults end up being managed by a single person: income, childcare, emergencies, important decisions, and the child's education.

The initiative was launched in partnership with Asociația Provident pentru Educație, Provident România, and the Federația Națională a Părinților – FNaP ProEDU, as part of the INVIZIBILII program.

For Asociația POT SĂ AJUT, this effort marks an important moment. After more than 10 years of working directly with single-parent families in Romania, we brought to decision-makers' attention a reality we hear about constantly in the communities we work with: the lack of time spent together.

Why it matters

In a typical family, an emergency can be handled with a phone call. Someone to step in. Someone to help. In many of the families we work with, that "someone" doesn't always exist.

A 2026 study by Novel Research, commissioned by Asociația Provident pentru Educație, based on a sample of over 600 employed single parents from urban and rural areas, shows what we also see daily in our work: one in five parents has no one to turn to in an emergency. And 99% of respondents said they would use an extra day off exclusively for their family. For their children.

In Romania, over 400,000 families rely on a single adult who simultaneously fills the role of financial provider, primary caregiver, and emotional support for the child.

The Labor Code provides for specific situations that justify additional leave days. Although these families are recognized as a vulnerable group in several legal acts, this reality is not yet reflected in labor legislation.

What the study shows

The research results confirm a reality we've been hearing about for years:

• 99% of respondents say they would use an extra day off for their family;
• 1 in 5 people has no one to turn to in an emergency;
• more than half say they never have enough time;
• nearly 79% say they push forward and cope with everyday challenges despite the difficulties.

The results also show how fragile the support network they can rely on is. Only two-thirds of respondents say they can count on extended family, while the rest rely on friends, neighbors, or other informal solutions, when these are available.

Perhaps the study's most important conclusion is this: people raising their children alone are not asking for a break from parenting. They're asking for more time to be present in their children's lives.

What happened on June 16

The debate held in the Romanian Parliament exceeded our expectations.

Together with our partners, we brought data, arguments, and the experience gathered over more than 10 years of direct community work. And the members of parliament listened.

We received support from several parliamentary committees, and the conversation took a direction we hadn't anticipated: the discussion didn't stop at a single day off. There was even talk of the possibility of granting three additional leave days for this category of parents.

It's a sign that this issue can no longer be ignored. That data matters. That warning signs from the field can reach decision-makers' table and contribute to real change.

For Asociația POT SĂ AJUT, this advocacy effort at the legislative level is an example of how community experience can contribute to changes with national impact.

The debate was moderated by Toader Păun.

What we believe

Impact

An extra day of leave means more than just one more day off.

It means more time for family.

For a parent carrying the responsibility of raising a child alone, it can mean a medical appointment that no longer has to be postponed, attending a school event, handling an urgent situation, or simply a few hours spent together.

Although the measure is granted to the parent, the ultimate beneficiary is the child. They are the ones who gain time with the most important adult in their life, in a context where every available hour counts.

If the initiative is adopted, its impact won't be measured in the number of days granted, but in the time gained by families who face this reality every day. On a national scale, such a measure could help improve quality of life and acknowledge a real need expressed by people across the entire country.

What's next

The initiative can be supported by members of parliament, authorities, employers, and organizations who believe these families deserve measures adapted to their reality.

Private companies can implement this measure even before any legislative change and can publicly support the effort.

More information about the initiative, the study results, and the materials created for the campaign are available on the Asociația Provident pentru Educație website.

We continue

Through the Împreună în Timp program, we aim to reach more cities across Romania alongside children and parents, through activities that:

• promote education through art as a tool for emotional connection between parents and children;
• create accessible settings for quality time spent together;
• support the development of healthier family relationships, within a community that sees and supports them.

For information about upcoming events, follow Asociația POT SĂ AJUT's Facebook page.