The Ministry of Health proposed instituting a service for decreasing the number of children with severe disabilities at district, municipal, and national levels. Currently, the early intervention state services for children with disabilities and children exposed to great risks, aged between 0 and 3, are provided only in the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti. Thus, only about 200-300 children benefit from early intervention services. In realty, approximately 15,500 need such services, IPN reports.

Liliana Rotaru, director of the nongovernmental organization CCF (Child, Community, Family) Moldova, said that these services must be as close to the community as possible, at least at district level, as some of the families that have disabled children experience serious financial and transportation problems when they need to go to faraway centers.

“The screening for hearing and sight should be done as soon as possible so as to achieve better results,” stated Liliana Rotaru.

Experts say the high disability rate among children is also due to the lack of a national integrated early intervention system that would prevent and minimize the negative consequences for the development of children of an early age and their state of health.

The project designed by the Ministry says the early intervention is effective in the prevention of severe disabilities and complications and the diminution of the negative psychological impact of the child’s disability on parents, siblings and relatives. It is also a successful method for preventing abandonment and institutionalization of children.

The services may be provided from 2014.