Deinstitutionalization of Children and Development of Family-Based Care Services on the Agenda of Authorities and Development Partners

Detailed plans for the transformation and, where applicable, closure of residential child care institutions across the country are being discussed and developed over the course of two days during a national planning workshop. The event brings together approximately 80 key representatives of social assistance and child protection authorities of the Republic of Moldova, development partners, and civil society organizations.

In his opening remarks, Igor Chișcă, Head of the Directorate for Policies on the Protection of Children’s Rights and Families with Children within the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, emphasized that over the past fifteen years, the Republic of Moldova has made significant progress in reforming the alternative child care system and closing residential institutions. These achievements include a strong legal and policy framework that supports family-based care and social services, as well as the consolidation and expansion of family-type alternative care services. “The reduction in the number of children in residential care from 17,000 in 1995 to fewer than 600 in 2024, along with the firm commitment to achieve the goal of zero children in institutions, also reflects Moldova’s commitment within the European Union accession process,” Mr Chișcă stated.

“Through the National Child Protection Programme for 2022–2026, the Government has committed to prioritizing family-based child care. In the context of the care system reform, we have joined efforts with our development partners by conducting an assessment of all residential institutions and temporary placement centres, establishing a moratorium on new placements in residential care, and ensuring the reintegration of children into families or their placement in family-based alternative care for children from institutions included in the reorganization or closure process,” Mr Chișcă underlined.

Ludmila Ungureanu, Director of the Changing The Way We Care Moldova (CTWWC) Initiative, noted that “CTWWC is committed to supporting the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in transforming all residential child care institutions in the country, and today’s workshop represents an important step in operationalizing this objective. Regional teams from across the country are developing implementation plans for the reorganization or closure process in each region, with concrete timelines and designated implementation teams. Our goal is to develop 10 regional implementation plans (in line with the ATAS organizational structure), one transformation plan for institutions in the municipality of Chișinău, and one transformation plan for institutions in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia.”

The event is organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, with the support of the CTWWC Initiative, UNICEF Moldova, Partnerships for Every Child, CCF Moldova, and Keystone Moldova.

The CTWWC Initiative is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the GHR Foundation.