Authorities encourage teachers to inform parents about available social assistance

The Municipal Division for Children’s Rights (DMPDC) advises school staff to inform comprehensively the parents about the social assistance they can benefit from. At a seminar held on Tuesday, DMPDC chief specialist Natalia Terteac pointed out the fact that many families do not know their rights and do not benefit from the social assistance system. Natalia Terteac informed the deputy directors for education, teachers and school psychologists about the health and social services available for families with children. According to the cited source, the amount of allowances and other social welfare offered by the state vary between 50 lei (monthly allowance for single mothers, when the income per each family member is below 54 lei) and 1000 lei (lump-sum childbirth allowance). Starting January 1, 2008, this allowance will increase to 1,500 lei, Natalia Terteac mentioned. Head of the Centru District Division for Children’s Rights, Angela Ganea, said that it is a duty of the teaching staff, particularly of the class masters to inform social protection bodies about the children whose parents left abroad. It is crucial that these children are taken under temporary guardianship by one of the close relatives, which would take care of them and protect their rights, Angela Ganea said. She specified that these children should benefit from the entire social package. It’s a shame that people pay attention to them only after they commit offences and are placed in correctional institutions, Angela Ganea added. In first half 2007, DMPDC registered more than 6,000 vulnerable families, of which 2696 families with two parents, 1509 single mothers and 1060 families with disabled children.