Isolation of disabled children from family is ‘most serious crime of humanity’

The special services intended for parents who have children with severe mental disabilities are not developed in Moldova. The first problem that appears after giving birth to such a child is that the parents do not know how to help him, said the executive director of the public association Keystone Moldova Ludmila Malcoci. According to her, the isolation of the mentally disabled children from the family is the most serious crime of humanity. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, Ludmila Malcoci said that regardless of the mental disability of the child at birth, the support offered to him, not only by medical treatment, but also by massage and kinetotherapy, can help him develop personal care abilities in the future. “Initially it was considered that the institutionalization of children with severe mental disabilities will allow the parents to work freely. I think this is the most serious crime of humanity. In a large institution, where there are many children with severe mental disabilities and not enough personnel, especially if it’s an institution outside society, these children cannot benefit from good development conditions. We have what we have. We have deinstitutionalized adults who cannot read and write and cannot orientate themselves at the age of 40. Or we have deinstitutionalized children cannot eat by themselves at the age of 14 who and need to be taught as the newborns,” said Ludmila Malcoci. She also said that when a disabled child is brought up in the family, the situation is completely different. These children are more developed than those from institutions, even if they come from socially deprived families. The children who are raised in the family, alongside the mother, are attached to the parents. These children see everything those around do and learn things by repeating them, even if they have learning problems. “Within the Inclusive Community – Moldova Program, the deinstitutionalized boys who have working abilities were employed. We helped boys from Orhei to set up a rabbit mini-factory. This year there will be implemented a project to the value of US$2,000 that will enable to purchase more modern cages for rabbits so that they develop their business and have a source of livelihood,” said the executive director of Keystone Moldova. Ludmila Malcoci also said that a 36-year-old man from Calarasi wanted to repair shows in Orhei. “We went to the local cobbler and paid him for teaching the boy to use the sewing machine. During two months, we had paid the young man salary so as to encourage him to work. Now he works officially and receives pay for his work,” she stated. According to a study made by Soros Foundation in Moldova in 2010, only 7% of the Moldovans would accept a person with disabilities in their environment.