1. Strengthening the qualification and specialized knowledge and skills of service providers in the field of social protection of children.
2. Transfer experience and knowledge in the field of education of children from experienced organizations.

• 350 parent-educators and foster care assistants
• 380 specialists from community centres (social workers, psychologists, educators from placement or daycare centres for children)
• 120 specialists from the Territorial Structures of Social Assistance

Country/region: Moldova

 

Description of project: Due to the massive labour migration abroad, Moldovan society consists mainly of young people without experience and of old people living on remittances sent by relatives abroad. One of the most alarming aspects of the massive migration is the not well-known phenomenon of abandoned children. A survey in 2012 found that 168,081 children in Moldova are threatened by lack of adequate parental care. Additionally, 105,270 of them (14.5% of the total number of Moldovan children) have had at least one parent go abroad in the previous year. Labour migration has become a huge problem in Moldovan society and ultimately undermines the healthy development of children. The Moldovan government is prepared to confront this problem. For example, the government approved the National Development Strategy, "Moldova 2020."

 

With regard to the above, Caritas CR wants to contribute to improve the lives of children in substitutional family care, i.e. foster care, care in institutions, or care in alternative facilities for children needing immediate assistance. The system of social protection of children in Moldova will be strengthen that will positively affect the reform of the alternative care of children at risk, living outside their own family.

In cooperation with partner organizations, Caritas CR will organize trainings for 850 staff working in the field of social protection of children in Moldova. Among them will be parent-educators, specialists in community centres, and also specialists of local authority child protection. The team comprises Moldovan experts, with the assistance of the international expert Dr. Winnetou Petry, PhD., who currently works on the creation of educational materials and curricula. The team will then report to the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Family (MPSZR) for approval.

 

Training material is based on the results of an extensive survey regarding the training needs of workers and also on foreign experience and examples of good practice applicable and adapted to the conditions in Moldova.

 

Total budget: 302 000 EUR

 

Donor: Czech Development Agency