Agency for Children Protection to be created in Moldova

Until October 1, 2006, the Agency for the protection of children and family will be created in Moldova. Until then, the necessary documents will be elaborated for creating this structure and afterwards will be presented to the Parliament for approval in the autumn-winter session. The creation of the agency as a separate subdivision, subordinated to the Government, was requested by the president Vladimir Voronin at a recent meeting which tackled the issue of children and family protection. The prime-minister, Vasile Tarlev, officials from the Government, Parliament and Presidency participated in the meeting. According to the Press Service of the Presidency, creating a specialized structure at national level which will have the role to elaborate, coordinate, monitor and implement polices in the field is one of the components of the reform of the present children protection system, launched in May 2006. According to the same sources, the head of state said that the present institutional system of children protection area is inefficient, at central level there are many structures between which a proper collaboration and coordination is not established. According to Voronin, this dispersal and doubling of functions leads to segmentary tackling of this issue, as well as breaking up responsibilities, and to a weak partnership between the state structure and civil society, reduced capacities of attracting financial resources from donors, etc. This, instituting a unique body which would coordinate the process of promoting and protecting children’s rights is complying with the European recommendations on the subject. Among the advantages this solution is offering is the existence of a broader autonomy in making decisions, extended possibilities in attracting resources, quicker promoting legislative initiatives. The head of state pleaded in favor of instituting unities of social assistants for children protection in the city halls of each locality, as well as creating an electronic record program of children.