Approximately 100,000 children running the risk of being separated from the family or lacking parental care will have greater chances of remaining in their family or of being placed in an appropriate alternative family environment. The public association “Partnerships for Every Child” has announced the launch of a project financed by USAID, IPN reports.

The project will assist the central public authorities in looking after children in risky situations and in preventing their separation from the family.

“Partnerships for Every Child” head Stela Grigoras said the association over the last few years supported the deinstitutionalization of 958 children, working with 15 residential institutions, in close cooperation with national and local partners. The lesson learned in the period, together with the local and central public authorities, is that the state must optimize the use of resources, directing them for helping families to avoid difficulties and assisting them to raise their children.

In the project launch, Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said the Ministry submitted to the Government the Child Protection Strategy, which will create the conditions needed for raising and educating the children in the family. “The strategy will ensure the continuation of the reform of the residential childcare system and the development of alternative services. But it is important to prevent the separation of children from the family and to strengthen the family’s role in raising and educating the children,” she stated.

The project will be implemented until June 2017.