The first Early Intervention Center in eastern Moldova was opened in Criuleni. A team of specialists will deal with the prevention of risks to the development of children younger than three by providing free services to the families. This way, the whole range of social services for assisting children with special needs or in situations of risk exist now in Criuleni district, IPN reports.
The staff of “Lăstărel” Center includes a pediatrician, a neurologist, a kinetotherapist, a psychologist, a psycho-pedagogue, a social assistant and other specialists. Over 120 families from Criuleni and Dubăsari districts, which meet with difficulties in the development of their children, could benefit from assistance, counseling and expert intervention at the center annually. The services are intended for 30 children born with developmental disorders and 50 children who face the risk of suffering from developmental disorders.
The center was founded and outfitted in the framework of a project that was co-financed and implemented by Soros Foundation Moldova. Asked by IPN to provide details, Daniela Leahu, project director at the Foundation, said the center employs seven specialists and is housed by the Family Doctors Center based in Criuleni town, where the doctors, medical assistants have the first contact with the families with children with developmental disorders. There are three such centers in Moldova, in Chisinau, Bălți and Criuleni.
“The development of early intervention services is an acute necessity given the reduced access to such services at the local level. To ensure the quality of such services, we laid emphasis on the partnership established between civil society and the local public authorities, which will ensure the sustainability of services,” Daniela Leahu stated in the inauguration of the center.
The donors provided €48,000 in grant assistance for founding and equipping the center. The Criuleni District Council contributed 300,000 lei. The Criuleni Health Center allocated over 50,000 lei for roof fortification and interior works. The Association “Woman and Child, Protection and Support” collected 80,000 lei from the 2% of the income tax directed by taxpayers.
The project “Access to Early Intervention Services” was implemented by the Public Association “Woman and Child, Protection and Support” with funds provided by the EU as part of the project “Better social services through a sustainable partnership between civil society and the government” that is co-financed and implemented by Soros Foundation Moldova in partnership with Keystone Moldova and the Alliance of Active NGOs in the Field of the Child and Family Social Protection and the Alliance of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities.
