Improving children’s well-being in mainstream education and hosting communities in Moldova

Implementation period: June 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025

The project aims to continue addressing critical gaps in the education of refugee children in the Republic of Moldova by supporting both students and teachers affected by crisis contexts.

Considering that, out of the 2,531 refugee children enrolled in educational institutions, approximately 59% attend schools in the Municipality of Chișinău, while the remaining children are distributed across the southern, central, and northern regions of the country, the project will prioritize interventions in the Municipality of Chișinău, as well as in southern districts, particularly those bordering Ukraine, such as Ștefan Vodă and Căușeni.

The project seeks to expand the Better Learning Programme (BLP) to schools, communities, and social services that have not previously benefited from this intervention, with the aim of strengthening the academic and emotional resilience of children and young people affected by conflict and displacement.

The BLP will be adapted to respond to the needs of both educational institutions and social assistance settings, including Refugee Accommodation Centres (RACs), community centres, and mobile support teams. A youth-focused component will also be developed to address the specific needs of adolescents affected by crisis and displacement.

By integrating psychosocial, educational, and social assistance interventions, the project will contribute to creating safe, inclusive, and trauma-sensitive environments, supporting emotional recovery, school participation, and the overall well-being of refugee children and vulnerable children from host communities.

Project Objectives

• Expand the implementation of the Better Learning Programme (BLP) in 7 educational institutions in the Municipality of Chișinău, Căușeni, and Ștefan Vodă districts, selected in collaboration with local Education Departments, prioritizing schools with at least 20 enrolled refugee children.
• Adapt the BLP Programme for implementation in community-based and social protection settings, including Refugee Accommodation Centres (RACs), day-care centres, and host communities.
• Strengthen the capacities of 100 professionals – including 80 teachers and 20 social workers/child protection specialists – to implement the BLP Programme and provide appropriate support to children affected by displacement and traumatic experiences.
• Strengthen the professional well-being of 70 teachers through dedicated training on stress management, prevention of burnout, and provision of emotional support to students.
• Strengthen the psychosocial resilience of 25 social workers and child protection specialists through well-being training adapted to crisis-response and community-based work contexts.
• Deliver BLP activities to approximately 2,000 children, both in formal education settings and in community-based services and refugee centres, contributing to improved emotional well-being, resilience, and academic recovery.
• Expand the use of the MISKIT tool in primary classes by training professionals and distributing MISKIT sets to schools, supporting the development of social-emotional skills among children affected by trauma and displacement.
• Strengthen the involvement of school librarians in promoting children’s well-being by providing information and orientation sessions for 100 school librarians and in-depth training for 60 librarians on the use of the MISKIT tool.
• Provide educational support to 500 children – Ukrainian refugee children and vulnerable Moldovan children – through school supplies, vouchers, or other forms of assistance based on identified needs.
• Promote inclusion, equity, and social cohesion between refugee children and children from host communities.

Project beneficiaries

The project will reach approximately 2,125 unique direct beneficiaries, including children, teachers, school librarians, social workers, and child protection specialists.

Direct beneficiaries include:

• 2,000 children – refugee children and vulnerable children from host communities – who will benefit from BLP activities delivered in schools, community centres, child protection centres, and Refugee Accommodation Centres. These activities will contribute to emotional resilience, stress management, and improved learning outcomes.
• 100 professionals, including:
  • 80 teachers;
  • 20 social workers and child protection specialists
    from the Municipality of Chișinău, Căușeni, and Ștefan Vodă districts, who will receive training on the Better Learning Programme.
• 70 teachers who will benefit from Teacher Well-being training aimed at strengthening stress management skills and preventing professional burnout.
• 25 social workers and child protection specialists who will benefit from professional well-being and psychosocial resilience training.
• 500 children – Ukrainian refugee children and vulnerable Moldovan children – who will receive educational support through school supplies, vouchers, or other forms of direct assistance.
• 100 school librarians from the Municipality of Chișinău who will participate in information and orientation sessions on the BLP Programme and the MISKIT tool.
• 60 school librarians who will receive in-depth training on the use of MISKIT, while 60 MISKIT sets will be distributed to school libraries to expand children’s access to emotional support resources.

Main activities:

• Implementation of the Better Learning Programme in schools, communities, and social assistance settings.
• Adaptation and revision of BLP guides in line with international requirements and lessons learned from implementation.
• Development of a youth-specific BLP component.
• Training of teachers, social workers, and child protection specialists.
• Delivery of professional well-being activities for teachers and frontline social workers.
• Expansion of MISKIT tool implementation in primary classes.
• Establishment of child-friendly community spaces through the provision of community kits supporting BLP sessions.
• Provision of material assistance to vulnerable children and families.
• Coordination of interventions with local authorities, social services, and relevant partners to ensure an integrated and sustainable response.

The project is implemented by “Partnerships for Every Child” and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).