The five-day international programme focuses on the key stages of child care system reform – from the closure of residential care institutions and the creation of alternative forms of family-based care to preventing the separation of children from their families, early intervention, inclusive education and the expansion of social services in communities.
The visit has been organised by the international charity Lumos Moldova, drawing on the experience of the reform coordinated at national level by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. As noted in the ministry’s press release, Moldova is continuing this process whilst advancing along the path of European integration.
“The Republic of Moldova has initiated changes, placing the child’s right to grow up in a family at the centre. Today, we have results we can talk about and experience from which other countries can learn,” said Natalia Plugaru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection.
The reform will continue
According to her, the reform is not yet complete. The next stage should involve strengthening services in local communities, providing timely support to families and developing solutions that help prevent children from being separated from their families.
Community visits feature prominently in the programme. In the districts of Fălești and Jaloveț, foreign experts will be able to familiarise themselves with services aimed at supporting families and preventing children from being separated from their parents.
In particular, participants will visit a multi-purpose day centre and an Early Intervention Centre, meet with a professional foster family, and examine practices for the inclusion of children in nurseries, schools and through the district psychological and educational support service.
Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Representative in Moldova, noted: “Preventing children from being separated from their families must remain at the heart of the next phase of reform. This means early identification of risks, supporting families before they find themselves in a crisis situation, and ensuring access to high-quality services within communities.”
Moldova’s experience is serving as a model
According to Marcela Straton, Director of Lumos Moldova, the organisation has been working alongside state institutions, specialists, civil society and local communities to develop services and solutions that enable more children to grow up in a family environment.
“For a few days, Moldova is serving as an open case study. Experts visiting the country can speak to the people who have brought about these changes and see how the services established in the communities are operating today,” he said.
The Ministry’s press release emphasises that a public event entitled ‘ACASĂ, fără ghilimele’ (‘AT HOME, without quotation marks’) will take place at Digital Park on 16 September. During the discussion, the Moldova Learning Hub will be presented – a platform designed to document Moldova’s accumulated experience and make it accessible to experts, organisations and government bodies involved in the transformation of childcare systems.
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