Open-hearted, step by step alongside a child – this is what being a professional parent means to me

“A professional foster parent always needs support and guidance, because each child in care has different needs. Caring for a child’s life means constantly learning how to be there for them with patience and love. For me, choosing to become a professional foster parent was the best decision – I have never regretted it,” said Mariana, a professional foster parent from Chisinau, with four years of experience in the field.

This is the voice of a professional foster parent, one of the many people who provide daily care, safety, and affection to children without parental care. It is a noble but complex mission, requiring training, emotional balance, and continuous support.

To address these needs, 30 professional foster parents from Chisinau participate monthly in support sessions. These meetings are dedicated to strengthening relationships with children in care and addressing essential topics related to their care and support.

According to Natalia Semeniuc, program coordinator at “Partnerships for Every Child” (P4EC), “these sessions are more than just meetings – they create a safe space for expressing emotions, reflecting, continuous learning, and sharing experiences among colleagues. The purpose of these sessions is to support professional foster parents in their work, strengthen their skills in managing crisis situations, prevent burnout, and promote healthy communication and intervention methods.”

Lăcrimioara Chicaros, manager of the professional foster care service within the General Directorate for Child Rights Protection in Chisinau, emphasized that “professional foster parents play an essential role in the child protection system. In this complex process, they often face emotional challenges, difficult decisions, and unpredictable situations that require resilience, clarity, and personal balance, and these sessions give them the opportunity to feel better prepared for the well-being of the children.”

The support sessions are implemented within the UNICEF project “Better Care for Children,” with financial support from the Government of Sweden. Activities are carried out by the Partnerships for Every Child, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and the General Directorate for Child Rights Protection in Chisinau.