Experts and NGOs working in the area of children's rights discussed on Friday, at a roundtable meeting, proposals to modify the national legislation in the field. The meeting was preceded by debates in 36 districts of the country, Info-Prim Neo reports. Children's ombudswoman [Tamara Plămădeala] said the local functionaries gave example when gaps in the legislation hindered them from protecting children's rights. “This is the reason why we initiated proposals to modify the laws in the filed”, explained the ombudswoman. Jurist [Ion Guzun] thinks it is necessary to amend, among others, the Code of Administrative Offenses, in particular the chapter regulating the responsibility of the parents. Statistics show that at least 500,000 Moldovans are working abroad, with their children left in their relatives' custody or even left alone. The laws do not regulate such situations. Ion Guzun suggests that the legislation should provide for various punishments for the parents leaving their children alone, not just fines. Ion Guzun also highlighted the need to adopt new guidelines for guardianship bodies as the existing regulation dates back to 1972. The new document should compel the migrant parents to find a guardian for their children before leaving abroad. Another set of proposal concerns the families looking after children with disabilities. It is suggested that the period during which the parents are caring for a child with severe disabilities should be considered as professional experience and recorded as such in their working cards for retirement and taxation purposes. This way the parents, who will be granted the status of social assistants, will be able to benefit from the advantages of an employee, like paid leaves, including sick leaves, a free health insurance and free rehabilitation. [Mariana Enachevici,] vice chairwoman of Save the Children Moldova and also charwoman of the Alliance of NGOs working in the area of children and family protection, spoke of the necessity to change the school program, which, according to her, is to difficult for the children and leads to health problems. She added that more attention should be paid to the education of children. In the opinion of [Stela Vasluian], director of Amici dei Bambini in Moldova, it is a priority to improve the capacity of the community social system in rural areas, which should pay more attention to vulnerable families. The discussed proposals will be included in a report which the children's ombudswoman will submit to Parliament.