The lawmakers passed a bill concerning the protection of children in risky situations in the first reading by a unanimous vote. The bill institutes a new definition – children separated from parents – which includes the children whose parents work abroad, IPN reports.

Acting Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said the draft law gives tutelage rights to the mayors and local social assistance and family protection divisions that carry out all the tasks related to the protection of children in the given territorial-administrative units.

The bill defines the procedure for registering reports about children who are in risky situations and the methods of handling such situations. Valentina Buliga said that every mayor’s office will include by a person who will follow the implementation of the law.

The phrase “child separated from the parents’” refers to children deprived of parental care, including because the parents went abroad to work. The bill explains the situations and conditions when the children are given the status of children who remained temporarily without parental care and children who remained without parental protection.

The bill authors said the implementation of the law on the special protection of children in risky situation and children separated from the parents does not require additional costs. The law will come into force six months after it is published in the Official Gazette.