Poverty, food insecurity and low educational attainment among adults are heavily concentrated among minorities in Vietnam. In 2003 Health Care Funds for the poor were introduced as part of Vietnam's compulsory health insurance system. The funds covered 18% of the population including the poor ethnic minorities in mountainous areas. This has led to increased utilization of health care services. Household out-of-pocket spending was reduced by 20 per cent. It also led to over 80% increase in the use of in-patient services by the beneficiaries. In Hungary, a great majority of the poor are not Roma, despite popular belief. Only about 20 % of the poor households are Roma. However 85 % of Roma are in the bottom income quintile. Poverty among the Roma is concentrated, deep and largely unalleviated by social' security. 60 % of Roma are unemployed opposed to 40 % of other poor people despite making greater efforts to find employment. The question is why social protection has not had the desired impact on the Roma. Some possible reasons are the fact that social policies in the form of tax allowances are not beneficial to Roma children given that tax allowances favour households with active earners and the Roma suffer from high unemployment. This exceptionally high unemployment also reduces opportunities for accessing employment related pensions. The researchers are suggesting that poverty should be dealt with as a social and economic issue, not a minority or ethnic issue, given that the majority of the poor are not Roma. Nonetheless there are a few particularities that suggest that the characteristics of the Roma should be taken into account in the design of any social protection policy. An appropriate design of social protection programmes is essential. In order to ensure child-sensitive social protection, eligibility determinations should be based on the needs of families (or households) rather than individuals. A minimum level of benefits, which would be enough to lift a family out of poverty, should be established. The minimum level should be reviewed and updated regularly. In establishing the social minimum, housing costs should be considered separately from other family expenditures because they differ greatly among poor families due to regional and local variations in housing markets. In conclusion, Social protection can have important socio-economic benefits for minority children: Social protection reduces income poverty and inequality, and increases consumption of basic goods in the short term. Social protection contributes to economic empowerment over the long run and prevents risky and poverty-reinforcing behaviours related to poverty. Social protection also combats social exclusion. It is important to consider the particular vulnerabilities faced by minorities when designing a social protection programme. It should be minority-sensitive, but not minority-exclusive. It is important to ensure that the design or implementation of social protection does not contribute to further