In 2007-2012, the number of children in boarding institutions dropped by 54%. Still, over 5,500 children that remain in those institutions need further actions under the reform, in particular destined for young children and children with disabilities. These were some of conclusions presented on Friday at the national conference “The Child Care Reform System: Reflections on the Future”, held in Chisinau. According to an assessment report presented at the conference, the drop in the number of children in institutions is due to both deinstitutionalization efforts and efforts to prevent further institutionalization. However, it was noted that the the progress was less solid in the case of children with disabilities and those under 3 years of age. Future actions under the reform should focus on precisely these groups of children, thinks Alexandra Yuster, UNICEF Representative in Moldova. The report suggests that additional efforts are needed to increase the number of alternative family services and the number of community centers to support families in difficulty. In particular, it recommends budgeting and redirecting economies obtained from the liquidation of residential institutions towards financing community services for vulnerable children and families. The Moldovan Government adopted the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Reform of the Residential Child Care System in July 2007. At that time, 12,000 children were living in orphanages and large boarding schools across Moldova. The reform aimed to reduce the number of institutionalized children by 50%, reorganize residential institutions and develop alternative foster services, such as family-type homes and professional parental assistance services. Today, more than half of the institutionalized children have found a family, and 11 out of 67 residential institutions were closed. The Reform was assessed on the Government's initiative, with support from UNICEF Moldova and NGOs. The assessment was done by an international expert, assisted by Terre des Hommes Foundation and a local survey company.