The children who leave the social placement services when they turn 18 adapt to the daily life and in society with difficulty. Most of them cannot find a place to stay, have low incomes, do not have life skills and a job and are arrested by the police. Many of the girls become mothers at an early age, shows the study “Evaluation of the situation of graduates of residential institutions and young people who leave social placement services” that was presented in a news conference on July 12, IPN reports.

Acceding to the study, there were questioned 202 young people aged between 18 and 25. Most of these said that they didn’t have skills to manage money when they left the placement system. 35.7% of them graduated only from the secondary school. Almost half of the respondents do not have an occupation. A number of 82 young people who said they work were involved in activities that imply physical effort and were paid modestly. Less than half of those surveyed have a monthly income lower than 2,000 lei. 18.6% said they have no income.

Of the 95 interviewed young women, each second admitted that they remained pregnant before turning 18. Six of these had an abortion. Over 15% of those surveyed said they broke the law and seven were jailed. 10% said they suffer from a chronic disease, while 50% don’t have a health policy.

In the presentation of the study, secretary of state at the Ministry of  Health, Labor and Social Protection Viorica Dumbraveanu said the Republic of Moldova needs policies to support the young people who benefitted from placement services. “The abandonment of a child generates many negative effects. Besides the child protection system, we need to strengthen the support system for these young people,” she stated.

People’s ombudsman for children’s rights Maia Banarescu noted the problem of children who went through the placement system is rather serious. They need alternative services to integrate into society, to become citizens. They cannot manage the money and do not have a place to stay. “We should protect their rights based on the status of child too as these children are no ready to become citizens when they leave the placement system,” stated Maia Banarescu.

The representative of the Lumos Foundation Moldova Irina Malanciuc said more than 1,000 children remain in residential institutions in Moldova. Most of these suffer from disabilities or are small children for whom services haven’t been yet developed.