Adults and children with mental disabilities will stay in community houses

Grown-ups and children with mental disabilities who need continuous care and protection will be placed in community houses so as to prevent their institutionalization. The Government approved the framework-regulations concerning the running of the social service “Community House”, which is an alternative to the residential service, Info-Prim Neo reports. Minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said the social service “Community House” will enable access to all the existing resources and benefits. In a communiqué, the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family says the house will include bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom and will provide a friendly, comfortable environment. Every person will have at least nine square meter of dwelling space or over 10 square meters in the case of persons in wheelchairs. A house will accommodate two to six beneficiaries of the same sex. The Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with four financing organizations, assuming responsibility for formulating the normative framework for developing such social services. For their part, the four organisations pledged to develop and finance a number of social services, including social houses, during three years. Later, these services will be taken over by the local public authorities. The “Community House” service will cost 40,900 lei a year for an adult and 40,000 lei a year for a child. About 1,700 persons live in the six social residential institutions for persons with disabilities managed by the Ministry. Another 320 persons are on the waiting list.