Labor Ministry sued by children’s ombudsperson

Ombudswoman for the protection of children’s rights Tamara Plamadeala filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family for delaying the adoption of a child aged three. According to the ombudswoman, the multiple attempts to adopt this child, who has serious health problems, failed because of this. The Ministry denies the accusations, saying they are speculative and groundless, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to a communiqué from the Human Rights Center, the child was abandoned shortly after birth by his mother who was single. The boy was taken to the Temporary Placement and Rehabilitation Center for Children in Balti. As he had serious health problems, he was included in the list of children put up for international adoption. Tamara Plamadeala said that an Italian couple fulfilled all the conditions for adopting the boy, but the Ministry, as the central authority in the field, didn’t give its consent to continuing the adoption procedure. The boy was put up for national adoption despite the medical contraindications for being adopted in Moldova. According to the administration of the Balti Placement Center, in December 2011- July 2012 the child had been put up for adoption to Moldovan citizens 15 times, but all in vain. The boy’s relatives do not want to adopt him either. The ombudswoman considers that the child’s constitutional right to have a family is flagrantly violated because of the indifference and negligence of officials of the Ministry. Tamara Plamadeala demands that the Ministry be obliged to give its consent to continuing the procedure for adoption by the Italian family and to pay 250,000 lei damages for the moral harm caused. In a communiqué, the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family says that it will be able to start the international adoption procedure after February 25, 2013 because the boy received the status of adoptable child on February 25, 2011. Under the legislation, the child can be adopted by foreigners or stateless persons with residence abroad two years after he is put up for national adoption, if he isn’t adopted meanwhile.