After one year of work, the people’s ombudswoman for children’s rights Maia Banarescu presented the main accomplishments and challenges in the field of the observance of children’s rights in the Republic of Moldova.

In a news conference at IPN, Maia Banarescu said that she set particular priorities at the start of her term in office, but these were extended given the existing problems. The street children were one of these problems. Even if they discussed the creation of a working group that would think up a set of standards and policies for protecting this category of children, no action has been yet taken in this regard.

The people’s ombudswoman for children’s rights noted that the lack of specialists at the local level is critical. Even if the necessity of employing specialists who would identify children in situations of risk was repeatedly highlighted, only four mayor’s offices of the country did so. In the other settlements, this is the duty of the social worker.

Maia Banarescu said the public authorities failed in their efforts to ensure proper alimentation in preschool education institutions, while the inspection and monitoring bodies identified irregularities in this sector only after parents issued warnings.

Among the rights that are most often violated, the people’s ombudswoman for children’s rights mentioned the right to recreation owing to the loaded program of study. Also, a large part of the rural schools do not yet have sanitary facilities inside buildings, while the school buses are not adjusted to the needs of children with disabilities. A number of 120 buses are yet needed to transport children to district schools.

There are also problems related to the protection of children whose parents went abroad to work. Maia Banarescu said there are parents who do not even know that they are obliged to grant a trustworthy person guardianship of the children for the period they are away.

Among the priorities for 2017, Maia Banarescu mentioned the carrying out of studies of the situation of children with sensory disabilities, children in psychoneurological institutions and deinstitutionalized children and the organization of two forums of discussion with children in June and November.