Number of children in residential system decreasing

After more than 4 years since the reform of the residential system was started, the number of institutionalized children decreased by almost 5,000. The actors involved say one of the key problems in pushing the reform is the resistance from society and in particular from the teaching staff employed in the residential system. Speaking at a roundtable meeting organized by EveryChild Moldova and Radio Moldova, Valentin Crudu, department head at the Ministry of Education, reiterated that the reform aimed to reduce by half the number of children placed in residential institutions by 2012, and develop alternate placement services. “Whereas at the beginning of the reform there were 11,500 children, their number dropped to 6,700 as of 1 September 2011”, said Crudu. Part of the children were reintegrated into their biological families and others were placed with alternative services, such as family-type or foster homes and community centers, which were developed together with partners from the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family. According to Valentin Crudu, an important element of the reform is the development of inclusive education. The Ministry of Education needs to finalize an action plan to implement a specific program adopted by the Government. “This program will allow us to integrate part of the children with diverse disabilities and special educational needs, who are currently taught at auxiliary schools, into general public schools”, said Crudu. Talking about the challenges of the reform, Valentin Crudu mentioned the opposition of some local authorities in developing alternative services. Often teachers and educators from residential institutions also show reluctant attitudes, and so do some parents. EveryChild Moldova director Stela Grigoras noted that in many areas where the reform was implemented, children were returned to their families and many were integrated into the general education system. “There have been issues, of course, like the educational inclusion of children, because we need a proper legal framework to facilitate this process. There are also some difficulties with the social community services, which need to be consolidated and further developed to cope with the number of children at risk of being separated from their families, as well as with the the great number of children from the residential system who need to be integrated into community services”, said Stela Grigoras. Another issue, says Stela Grigoras, is the redirection of funds from the residential system to the existing or future social and community services. The National Strategy on the Child Care Residential System Reform was launched in 2007 and is due to be completed by 2012.