Mothers taking their children out to panhandle by their side run the risk of losing their parental rights–warns Lucia Caciuc, acting head of the Chisinau children’s rights directorate–as the number of such mothers has increased lately in parks and near churches with the weather growing warmer.
Lucia Caciuc told the City Hall’s ordinary meeting today that ten raids carried out in cooperation with the police last week revealed that most such mothers are from outside Chisinau and they are registered with authorities as former or current recipients of social benefits. Caciuc says that some mothers have become so used to earning money this way that the prospect of losing their parental rights doesn’t seem to discourage them. In a recent case, a woman that had already collected about 400 lei that day said the money she earned from panhandling during one day was enough to provide for her child for one week.
“The procedure of terminating one’s parental rights is very long and difficult, but there is this vision that the child is better off in the (biological) family. We will not get this problem solved if we the general public don’t stop giving money to beggars. Giving money is not a solution. There is a multitude of social projects, there are funds to offer support. Admittedly, it’s not a lot of money, but it can solve some of the problems. Then there are the local authorities that have to provide support to such mothers”, says Lucia Caciuc. The authorities admit that it is sometimes difficult to find a job, especially in rural areas, but it is not impossible and the best interest of the child should prevail.