Most of residential institutions for children are over 30 years old

The largest part of the residential child care institutions in Moldova are over 30 years old, says a study carried out as part of the Project “Development of Integrated Social Care Services for Vulnerable Families and Children at Risk” with support from the UNICEF Moldova Representative Office. Some 27% of the institutions do not have cold tap water, while 43% do not have hot running water. 18% do not have toilets in the dormitories and 75% of the children in the 67 residential institutions of Moldova sleep in rooms for more than seven persons. The authorities hope that the number of children in residential institutions will be halved by 2012. According to Deputy Minister of Education Valentin Crudu, after the reorganisation of the residential child care system, a part of the institutions will be closed and their buildings will be used by the local public authorities for social or education services. The old buildings will be demolished but it is not known yet how many. The reform of the residential child care system is implemented with support from UNICEF and from the European Union.