More than 2,600 parents submitted a petition whereby they demand that the authorities should reopen the kindergartens or should adopt social protection measures for families with children of preschool age, IPN reports.
The petition was filed to the National Extraordinary Commission for Public Health and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and will also be emailed to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection and the Ombudswoman for Children’s Rights.
According to Ala Revenco, manager of the association “Solidary Portents”, by this petition that was initiated last week, they demand to solve the problems faced by the parents of about 150,000 children because the kindergartens do not work. Most of the employees were asked to return to the workplaces as of May 4, but almost a month has passed since then and the method of functioning of education institutions hasn’t been yet decided. “The state didn’t offer us a solution as to what we should do with the children,” stated Ala Revenco.
She noted that the parents have to choose between going to work and abandoning the job so as to be able to take care of the children. The parents are close to the limit as they took all the types of possible leave, including the unpaid one. The children are left in the care of neighbors, grandparents or elder brothers.
The parents said they realize the eventual risks related to the opening of kindergartens amid the pandemic, but the children are exposed to a double risk as their parents work and can contract the virus, while they are in the care of other persons.
According to Ala Revenco, if the authorities decide that the kindergartens cannot be opened for epidemiological reasons, the request is for them to take social support measures by which the parents would be provided with an allowance equal to at least half of their salary, and to adopt legislative measures by which they could keep their jobs.
One of the mothers attending the filing of the petition said that she has two children who go to kindergarten. Since March 11, they have stayed at home. “After almost three month, I do not yet know when the children will go to socialize.” Another mother expressed her concern about the fact that the children have to stay alone at home while the parents are at work and their safety cannot be thus ensured. The woman noted the employers are not very flexible in the created situation and do not accept work from a distance.
The schools and kindergartens in Moldova were closed on March 11 owing to the risk of infection with COVID-19.
