EveryChild Moldova supported by UNICEF is launching a new project in reforming residential child care system in the Republic of Moldova with a special regard for auxiliary schools for children with special educational needs.
The project aim:
By the end of 2013, the social protection system in Ungheni and Falesti will be enabled to comprehensively address the needs of vulnerable children and their families for quality social services, including systems to prevent family separation and protect children without parental care, and this best practice is disseminated for replication and scaling up.
EvC will be working with central and local authorities and service providers to support the implementation of the National Child Care Reform the Masterplan of Transformation of residential institutions. The project includes reorganization of three auxiliary schools in Falesti and Ungheni and development of community based services to ensure the right of the child to grow up in the family or family-type environment.
At national level EvC will work mainly with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family to strengthen the national child protection system, develop and improve social policies to address prevention of family separation and re/integration of children placed in institutions into mainstream schools and community.
Also the capacity of these ministries will be built in communication thus ensuring the participation of the main stakeholders in child care reform and application of a unified vision in this context.
At the local level the project will be implemented in partnership with local authorities in Ungheni and Falesti. The project will support the development of an integrated system of social services for children and families, and provide practical support to put these services in place, to integrate them into mainstream service provision. At the same time it will strengthen LAs capacities to strategically plan appropriate care and protection of children, and to evaluate the impact of these services on children and families.
The project will also support LAs to introduce beneficiary participation, mainly of children and youth, in the development and monitoring and evaluation of policies. With the view of ensuring sustainability of the proposed programme EveryChild in collaboration with local authorities will support and encourage local communities, civil society, parents, teachers and children in mainstream schools, family doctors, parents and carers of children placed in public care in these regions to develop a pro-active attitude towards supporting children in difficulty and their upbringing and education within the family and community.