Parents looking after children with severe mental disabilities denounce shortcomings in legislation and lack of social protection

Representatives of the associations of parents that take care of children with severe mental disorders criticize the shortcomings in the legislation and the lack of social protection. The parents complain that they do not benefit of work record books and free health insurance when the children turn 18. The parents also say they have to bear the full costs for reconfirming the right of taking care of the children after they come of age at a time when the social maintenance indemnity is only 475 lei and does not cover even half of the minimum consumer basket, Info-Prim Neo reports. At a meeting with the Deputy Minister of SocialProtection, Family and Child Protection Lucia Gavrilita, the parents said that in order to obtain guardianship of the children that come of age, they must confirm by medical examination that the children were mentally ill. After passing medical examinations themselves to prove that they are mentally and physically healthy, the parents must lodge an application for guardianship with the court. All the examination and court-related expenses are covered by the parents. The parents ask the Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child to work out a bill that will stipulate the rights and obligations of the persons that look after children and adults with special needs and will eliminate any form of gender discrimination. Currently, only the mothers can look after children with mental disorders. The parents ask the authorities to take into account the fact that they have to stay at home all the time to take care of the children and cannot work. Lucia Gavrilita said that the persons with severe mental disabilities needed special attention. The Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child will make every effort to identify solutions to the existent problems. The deputy minister said that they would propose amending the Civil Code and would work out a strategy for improving the quality of life of the persons with mental illnesses and of those that looked after them. Gavrilita spoke about the new strategy for reforming the system of social protection of the persons with disabilities. Unlike other social protection projects that focus only on the benefit provided to the disabled, the new strategy includes methods for encouraging and stimulating the invalids so that they are more active and present in society.