The Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family plans to implement a new mechanism to monitor the use of state-provided social aid, based on a contract signed with beneficiary families, who will have to assume responsibility for the efficient management of the money. The announcement was made by Minister Valentina Buliga at a meeting with district heads, IPN reports.

She said that a new mechanism for monitoring families with children will be introduced. Social workers will take care that children are fed and clothed and that they are schooled.

Head of Cahul Avram Micinschi welcomed the initiatives. “The number of abandoned children or kids left with caretakers has increased because of the parents' migration, while the number of boarding institutions had decreased. The Ministry's policy is to place the children in families, but it doesn't always succeed, that's why we need to adapt the laws approved in recent years to the current situation and kids with special needs must be monitored attentively. Last year, an orphanage in Cahul was closed and 40 kids that lived there need to be placed in families as soon as possible”, said Micinshi.

According to the district head, a serious problem is the high turnover of social workers because of low wages. Their professional training is often below the minimum requirements.

Head of Telenesti district Boris Burca said that central authorities must urgently come up with measures to support families that take care of children abandoned by their parents. “We need to put in a place a system so that people were assured that when they get in such situations the state will help them”, said Burca.

The local official added that the amount of social aid provided by the stated decreased by 5 million lei in the last 7 years and this proves that people are getting employed and don't rely on the state anymore.