The parents who work abroad and returned home for the winter holidays are urged to use the visit to Moldova as an opportunity to establish custody and guardianship of the child. According to safe migration experts of the International Center “La Strada”, this is not only a formality as it implies numerous advantages for children who are rather vulnerable following the leaving of parents, IPN reports.
In a press release, “La Strada” says most of the times the persons who choose to go abroad to work consider that if they leave the child in the care of a relative – brother, sister, aunt or grandmother – the child will be safe. But these children form part of the risk group.
“In general, the establishment of guardianship or custody does not imply a too big effort. Only the notification of the local authorities by a simple application is required. The procedure is free and the nominated person remains temporarily responsible for the child. For example, if you are away and your small child got sick and needs to be hospitalized, the person in whose care the child was left will have to pay additionally for staying in the hospital together with this, if guardianship wasn’t set up. Also, this person will have to go on unpaid leave,” explained Daniela Misail-Nichitin, director of the women’s program of “La Strada”.
According to her, if guardianship of the child is put in place, the person will be able to stay free in the hospital until the child recovers and this can take paid sick leave from work. This is a banal example that shows yet some of the benefits of establishing guardianship of children while the parents are abroad.
Guardianship is created at the Children’s Rights Protection Division of the settlement where the child lives, when this is in the care of one of the parents or when both of the parents are abroad. Further information about safe traveling over Moldova’s borders can be obtained on the free hotline for safe migration 0 800 77777 or by contacting a consultant through www.migratiesigura.md. Calls from abroad can be made to 0 (22) 23 33 09. The service is managed by the International Center “La Strada”.
