More than 400 children from residential institutions or from risk groups were placed in family-type children’s homes and professional parent assistance homes since 2007 within a project initiated by the public association “CCF Moldova – Child, Community, Family” (CCF). The main goal is to keep the children in the extended biological family. Alternative forms of protection are proposed if this is not possible.
Contacted by IPN, Ala Nosatyi, project manager at the association, said that the regulations concerning the creation of family-type children’s homes were adopted in 1980 and had to be adjusted. CCF worked out a mechanism on the functioning of this service and proposed a set of standards that the families looking after deinstitutionalized children should respect.
Besides the family-type children’s homes opened in the districts of Calarasi, Cantemir, Criuleni, Ialoveni, Cimislia, and Edinet, professional parent assistance homes were set up in a number of districts in 2007. They were monitored by members of the association for a period, but were then transferred to the local authorities that also support the given services.
The difference between the family-type children’s homes and the professional parent assistance homes is that the first can accommodate three to seven children, while the second – one-three children. The allowances offered monthly to the children are 450 lei in the first type of homes and 21 lei a day in the second type of homes.
A full family is needed for family-type children’s homes, while for professional parent assistance homes this is not obligatory. The professional parent assistants must take part in 50 hours of training and do medical examinations. “Common regulations are now being designed to remove the differences existing between these services” said Ala Nosatyi.
According to the specialist, the regulations provide that the children can live in family-type children’s homes up to the age of 18. If they choose to continue their studies and want to stay with the family, they can live there up to the age of 23. In the professional parent assistance homes, the child is placed in emergencies for shorter periods, when the biological family is in situations of risk.
