Individuals providing alternative childcare services for children up to the age of three will continue to operate under a patent-based system. The Parliament has voted in the final reading to remove the December 31, 2024 deadline, IPN reports.

According to the draft law, authored by PAS member of the Parliament Marina Morozova, alternative service providers will be required to hold a certificate confirming their psychological capacity to engage in social and professional activities requiring heightened responsibility.

Another amendment allows childcare services to be provided in legally used residential spaces based on other legal agreements, such as loan-for-use contracts (comodat), real estate leasing, or usufruct. This adjustment aims to facilitate service provision in spaces where the applicant is not the property owner.

Additionally, the registration process for childcare service providers has been simplified, requiring only a notification to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection via the online platform serviciialternative.gov.md. The author of the bill explains that this change will help prevent redundant documentation requirements for both registration and patent acquisition.

The bill also introduces the possibility of signing a civil contract for alternative childcare service providers, offering greater contractual flexibility.

Furthermore, an amendment proposed by Vladimir Odnostalco, an member of the Parliament from the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, was accepted. This amendment adds a new activity to the Law on Entrepreneurial Patents, expanding the legislation to include home care services for the elderly.