240 specialists trained to support the reform of the child care system in Moldova

In the context of the child care system reform, 240 professionals, members of regional coordination groups and multidisciplinary teams within the Territorial Social Assistance Agencies, as well as authorities with competencies in child protection from Chisinau municipality and the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, are participating in a two-session, four-day training workshop in Chisinau.

The main objective of the workshop is to support the transformation of the care system, focusing on the deinstitutionalization of children, strengthening family support services, and developing family-type foster care services, as well as reorganizing residential institutions. The workshop involves the active participation of all responsible actors, effective risk management, and the transition to alternative care services and family support for children.

According to Igor Chișcă, Head of the Child and Family Protection Policy Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, “A crucial element of the training is developing the skills necessary for comprehensive assessment and monitoring of children and families, their reintegration or placement in family-based environments, and the reorganization of residential institutions. These competencies are essential for the effective implementation of the National Child Protection Program for 2022–2026.”

Viorica Dumbrăveanu, Child Protection Officer at UNICEF, noted, “UNICEF supports the development of essential competencies for public authorities and practitioners involved in the reform, facilitating the transition from an institutional care model to one focused on biological/extended families or family-type alternatives. The training program targets key actors involved in this fundamental process for the future of children in the Republic of Moldova.”

Daniela Mămăligă, Director of Partnerships for Every Child (P4EC), emphasized the complexity of the reform: “The reform process involves fundamental changes, from reintegrating children into their families to placing them in family-type care environments. It is essential to provide individualized support not only during deinstitutionalization but also after children’s reintegration into the community.”

The workshop is organized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection within the UNICEF project “Better Care for Children,” implemented by P4EC, with financial support from the Government of the United Kingdom through FCDO.