UNICEF IN MOLDOVA “Investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged and excluded children and families gives all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential, and thus leads to sustained growth and stability of countries.” Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director
NEWSLETTER
The vulnerable children of Moldova are our highest priority and the focus of our interventions to ensure their rights are protected and inequities are reduced in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In the second quarter of 2016, UNICEF continued its efforts in a number of areas to ensure that no child is left behind. As illustrated in select examples in this Newsletter, between April and June 2016 UNICEF in Moldova continued its collaboration with all partners to achieve sustainable results for children. This year marks a decade since the start of childcare system reform in Moldova. From 11.6 thousand in 2006 to less than 3 thousand in 2015, the number of children living in institutions decreased fourfold. Thousands of children deprived of family care now grow up in a family environment due to the efforts to improve gatekeeping mechanisms and develop alternative care services including foster care, adoption, and family type homes. Besides reducing the number of institutionalized children, UNICEF also supported stakeholders in promoting additional services that support parents and caregivers and help prevent family separation. Despite these achievements, challenges exist. Two in three
#2 / 2016 children currently in residential institutions are children with disabilities. Families raising these children are the ones most in need of family support services. Children under three years of age are also highly present in institutions. Hence, development of a comprehensive model for prevention of family separation is essential as a next step. It should apply integrated approaches and combine inter-sectorial referral mechanisms, strengthen social work and specialized services, as well as family-based alternative care for children with disabilities and for young children. Inclusive and equal access to education for all children is another area of UNICEF’s consistent support and attention. The number of children with disabilities in auxiliary and special schools decreased from 2.5 thousand to one thousand, while the number of children with special educational needs in regular schools increased from 1.6 thousand to 10 thousand in 2011-2016. The number of children with special educational needs in mainstream kindergartens has also increased in the last decade, and continues to grow, bringing many children, including those previously separated and placed in institutions, closer to their communities and families. However, challenges remain. A recently launched UNICEF study revealed that children with disabilities have an enrollment rate of only 41%. Despite improved access to early childhood education facilities in the last decade, in rural areas access remains lower than in urban areas.
Reaching out to the most vulnerable children of Moldova to protect them from violence, abuse and exploitation is at special attention on our agenda which we consistently pursue together with numerous partners. A multisectorial referral mechanism to respond to cases, as well as a helpline for child victims of violence, abuse, and exploitation are already in place. The opening of a wing for children in the shelter for victims of trafficking in June is a significant development in protecting these children. These achievements need to be advanced further as demonstrated by a study conducted by UNICEF, confirming that every second Moldovan child is a victim of corporal punishment as a method of disciplining, an issue that needs interventions both to improve systems and to change social norms. A recently noted trend that needs complex behavior change interventions is the decline in vaccine coverage to the level where the country risks to fail reaching target vaccination rates, despite the fact that a relatively high proportion (89%) of children received all recommended vaccines. The events organized during the European Immunization Week addressed existing awareness gaps and misconceptions about immunization. In the remaining half of 2016, we look forward to working with our partners on ensuring systems and mechanisms are in place that benefit Moldova’s most disadvan taged children. Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova
IN THIS ISSUE:
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THE GOVERNMENT COMMITS TO STRENGTHEN THE BIRTH REGISTRATI ON SYSTEM AND TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ONLINE ABUSE
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MOLDOVAN PROFESSIONALS BENEFITED FROM A UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN SCOTLAND
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A NEW STUDY ON ECD COSTING TO PROVIDE A VIABLE MODEL FOR FINANCING OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
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CHILD VICTIMS WILL NOW BENEFIT FROM A SAFE HAVEN WITH SUPPORT FROM UNICEF MOLDOVA
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LOCAL PROFESSIONALS BETTER EQUIPPED TO ASSIST CHILD VICTIMS
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FOSTER PARENTS RECOGNIZED ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FAMILY
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UNICEF MOLDOVA TRAINED A GROUP OF TEENAGERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN VIDEO BLOGGING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
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APRIL 8 – INTERNATIONAL ROMANI DAY
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IMMUNIZATI ON WEEK WAS MARKED IN MOLDOVA
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MOLDOVA ELIMINATED MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF SYPHILIS AND COMMITTED TO ELIMINATE MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV
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VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS ATTEND A PUPPET THEATRE SHOW IN CHISINAU
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INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY – FOCUS ON CHILD RIGHTS
THE GOVERNMENT COMMITS TO STRENGTHEN THE BIRTH REGISTRATION SYSTEM AND TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ONLINE ABUSE Prime Minister Filip chaired a new meeting of National Council for Child Rights Protection in April 2016. Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova, attended this meeting, together with other development partners and civil society organizations. With this occasion, the Council raised several important issues, such as registration of newborns legislation, early intervention services and child safety on the internet. According to article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, “the child shall be registered immediately after birth”. The Government of Moldova now aims to facilitate registration of newborn children and access to social allowances for newborns and their families. The National Council created a working group to discuss existing
“Protection and promotion of children rights is a top priority of the Government. I would like to express my conviction that the National Council for Children Rights Protection will stimulate and facilitate the process of development, actualization and implementation of policies that are affecting children. In collaboration with development partners and through social dialog, it will ensure the best interest of the child, thanks to the monitoring of these policies’ implementation.”, Prime Minister Filip said. gaps in current childbirth registration system, to analyse discrepancies in information and data coming from different agencies and develop recommendations concerning the improvement of legislative
and normative framework. These interventions will contribute to further strengthening of birth registration system to ensure that all children in Moldova, and especially the most vulnerable, are registered.
Policies for children
Child security on the internet is another challenge that needs to be addressed. Children’s online behavior, risks and vulnerability to harm as well as measures to combat their online abuse and exploitation are at stake. Following the recommendations of a UN working group dedicated to children’s protection against abuse and neglecting, the Council decided to launch a reflection on improving the information delivered to children about dangers of online environment. For that matter, Government of Moldova is committed to implement the European legislation and standards to prevent every child of Moldova from online abuses. UNICEF supports the Permanent secretariat of the National Council for Children Rights Protection.
MOLDOVAN PROFESSIONALS BENEFITED FROM A UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN SCOTLAND offering social services of high quality. Similarly to the Moldovan system, it relies on inter-sectoral cooperation between health, social, education and law enforcement authorities. Scotland supports the wellbeing of children and young people by “getting it right for every child”. This means that the right people offer the right help at the right time. The Scottish model is extremely efficient, being in line with European best practices of preventing family separation by
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The home visiting programme complements this national intersectoral approach in order to ensure a comprehensive prevention system. The Family Nurse Partnership is, for instance, a preventive programme for vulnerable young mothers. It offers intensive and structured home visiting, delivered by trained nurses from early
pregnancy up to the time when the child is two years old. In Moldova, too, home visiting programmes are seen as a key elements in the prevention of family separation. In the framework of the project “Young children of Moldova – understanding needs, developing services, reforming the system”, UNICEF and CCF Moldova are joining their efforts to model a similar programme in three districts of the country and in Balti municipality.
Nurturing young brains
A NEW STUDY ON ECD COSTING TO PROVIDE A VIABLE MODEL FOR FINANCING OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
One dollar spent on early childhood education programmes brings a return of up to 17 dolars in the future. Early childhood is the most significant developmental stage in life, providing the cognitive, emotional and social foundation upon which children build their futures. Early childhood education leads to higher levels of primary school enrolment and educational performance, which in turn positively affect employment opportunities later in life. UNICEF and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova aims at improving the enrollment rate in early education services, which currently is 85.1 % for children aged 3-6 (7) years, for all children. A study was conducted to identify the best solutions to ensure universal coverage of preschool children with quality early education services, which was implemented by PriceWaterhouseCoopers Romania. It is especially important to ensure coverage of early education to children in rural areas, where only 73% of children attend preschool compared to 105.5 % in urban areas, as well as for children with disabilities, whose enrollment rate is only 41 %. Even though in 2009-2014 yearly public spending on education in Moldova increased by 6.6%, while public spending on preschool education increased by 11%, about 20 districts in Moldova face shortages of free places in kindergartens. According to the study, the supply of places in kindergartens cannot meet the continuously increasing demand. In Chisinau, the occupancy rate is
108%, which shows that the groups are overcrowded. To achieve universal ECD coverage in Moldova, an increase in public spending of up to 60% is required, mainly for nutrition and health, the study revealed. The research reveals that most of the preschool education institutions in Moldova need investments in infrastructure, especially those from rural areas. Only 8% of rural preschools in Moldova have running hot water, only half of them have access to centralized sewage, and every third uses wood or gas stoves for heating. There is a significant shortage of staff and special equipment for the development of children of preschool age, while the educational activities are not adjusted to each age category
“The assessment will provide a viable model for financing of pre-school education in Moldova, that will improve young children’s capacity to develop and learn, will ensure that educational environments provide the tools they need to flourish, and no child is at a disadvantage. All girls and boys, including Roma children, children with disabilities and special education needs, and children from the poorest areas should be given the chance to realize their fullest potential, both inside and outside the classroom,” said Margarita Tileva, Deputy UNICEF Representative.
“In total, there are 1461 kindergartens in the Republic of Moldova, and the number of children attending these institutions is about 150,000. Certainly, we need to invest further in early childhood education services, both from budgetary sources and alternative financing sources. Optimizing the financing of preschool education institutions should offer a more pragmatic distribution and allocation of budgetary resources. We continue to work in close cooperation with UNICEF and other development partners to achieve these goals,“ added Elena Cerna.
and do not offer variety to children in their daily schedule. Deputy Minister of Education Elena Cerna emphasized the need to ensure access to quality preschool education for all children, especially those from vulnerable groups. The study was conducted between December 2015 and January 2016. It covered a sample of 1,453 kindergartens.
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CHILD VICTIMS WILL NOW BENEFIT FROM A SAFE HAVEN WITH SUPPORT FROM UNICEF MOLDOVA
From left to the right: Diana Bojenco, Director of the shelter, Antonio Polosa, IOM Representative, Stela Grigoras, Minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family and Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova at the official inauguration event.
“We’ve come a pretty long way today to establish this shelter that will bring added value to the protection of children. Our goal is to bring these protection services to as many children at risk as possible”, said Diana Bojenco.
At the official opening of the newly renovated wing, Stela Grigoraş, the Minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family thanked the Representative of IOM, the Representative of UNICEF and the team of the shelter for their commitment and perseverance to change children’s lives for the better. According to Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova,
children can be vulnerable in many different ways, being unable, due to their young age, to withstand the effects of widespread phenomena like poverty, abuse, exploitation, or harmful social norms. Violent disciplining and physical punishment are such social norms that create a hostile environment for a child in the place which should be the safest: her own home. Findings of a study conducted by UNICEF reveal that every second Moldovan child is a victim of physical disciplining methods. Just last year the police was notified about serious 1,000 cases of violence against children. Nune Mangasaryan mentioned that significant work has been done to tackle the issue already: a multisectorial referral mechanism, as
“Often children need protection and specialized assistance to overcome negative experiences and trauma they went through to give them another start in life. Ensuring protection and personal dignity for every child is the responsibility of the state, but also an obligation for each of us as parents and citizens of the country”, said Stela Grigoras, Minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family.
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Turning Lives Around
By creating appropriate conditions for the rehabilitation of child victims, the wing for children in the shelter for the victims of trafficking will fill a gap in the child protection system, contributing to a larger objective: the well-being of every child in Moldova. According to its director Diana Bojenco, the shelter will offer placement in a safe and appropriate environment to the victims of violence, trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
“Today we take another huge step in the realization of children’s rights. The fact that every child has the opportunity to come to this shelter where she can get professional assistance is a great achievement both for the Government and development partners”, said Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova. well as a helpline for child victims of violence, abuse and exploitation are already in place. Even though the official data show a decrease in the number of trafficked children in 2015, the phenomena has not yet been eradicated. Moreover, the empirical data show that traffickers are diversifying the deceiving techniques they are using: living conditions become slightly better, victims receive small amounts of money, they are allowed to contact their family, and they may have partial freedom of movement. As the exploitation techniques change, it is more difficult for the victims to recognize exploitation
and seek help. In a country struck by poverty, parents may be under the pressure to pay off debts or gain income, and they may be deceived concerning the prospects of training and a better life for their children.
LOCAL PROFESSIONALS BETTER EQUIPPED TO ASSIST CHILD VICTIMS
Attending the event, Antonio Polosa, IOM Representative, stressed the considerable efforts deployed by national partners and the international community to combat human trafficking is a crime that affects the lives of several people, including children. Not as widespread as violence against children, human trafficking remains one of the most complex hazards, that lead to long lasting traumatic experiences children need to be protected from, along with sexual abuse. Official data over the last four years show an average of close to 200 offences of sexual nature, of which approximately half are rapes, against children per year. All these children need a turning point in their life, to change it for better, and the authorities have the duty to provide them with the respective support. According to article 34 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, “State Parties undertake to protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse”. From 2016, the shelter, as a highly specialized institution, will provide such protection by assisting in crisis situations the potential young victims of human trafficking, identified abroad and in the country. As an advocate of children’s rights, UNICEF in Moldova has contributed USD 70,000 for the new wing of the shelter for victims and potential victims human trafficking, which would accept up to 10 children. Additionally, severe cases of child abuse and violence, which found no solution at the local level, can also be referred to the shelter. “The inauguration of this shelter gives us hope that more girls and boys will be safe from human trafficking. They are entitled to a second chance to lead a decent life, secure and free from danger and violence”, said Antonio Polosa, IOM Representative.
Social and health workers, teachers, psychologists and police officers from Chisinau, Balti and 7 districts of Moldova learned how to identify children victims and potential victims of violence, assess the situation through the lens of the best interests of the child, convene meetings of the multidisciplinary teams and apply a holistic approach in assisting vulnerable children and their families. Up to October 2016, they will develop local action plans for strengthening the capacities of their peers at local level. The activities are part of a UNICEF partnership with National Centre for Prevention of Child Abuse (CNPAC), aiming to strengthen the implementation of the inter-sectoral mechanism for identification, referral and assistance of children victims and potential victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation and trafficking in Moldova.
FOSTER PARENTS RECOGNIZED ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FAMILY On the International Day of the Family, foster care families that provide love and warmth to children without parental care were celebrated. UNICEF Representative to Moldova Nune Mangasaryan joined the president of CCF/ HHC Moldova, Liliana Rotaru, and the Minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family, Stela Grigoras, to visit one of the most experienced parental assistants from Chisinau. The impressive growth and development results of a 2-year old boy, withdrawn from his biological neglectful family is a proof that alternative childcare services work. Thanks to the care and stimulation provided by Ecaterina, a foster parent, the child who was not able to walk before, now develops harmoniously. Together with the Government and other partners, UNICEF recognizes the work of foster parents and encourages further support to be provided to families who foster young children (0-3 years) and those with disabilities.
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UNICEF MOLDOVA
TRAINED A GROUP OF TEENAGERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN VIDEO BLOGGING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Agents of change
UNICEF Moldova in collaboration with Youth Media Centre organised a 5-day’ workshop, aiming to train young people and adolescents to advocate by themselves on issues that matter to them through new digital technologies. The scope of the initiative is to facilitate youth engagement and freedom of expression, to encourage them to share their ideas and opinions and to become active citizens. They produced short movies using smartphones, mobile editing applications, social media channels to help their digital story telling. ”The right of children to express an opinion, which may be in different forms, including in a form of art is guaranteed by the Child Rights Convention, to which Republic of Moldova is a party, along with other 195 states”, said Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF representative to Moldova. ”This right is essential for children and adolescents from vulnerable groups, their voices being equaly important”, added Nune Mangasaryan. “Implication of children and adolescents in the life of communities and society in general will only benefit our children, it will raise their self-confidence, develop new
skills and abilities and will empower them to protect their rights,” said Veronica Boboc, director of the Youth Media Center. 6 teenagers and young people aged 13-20 years participated in the workshop, including young people with disabilities. Being guided by experts and facilitators from Amsterdam and London, and encouraged by successful Moldovan bloggers, participants have developed their own short films, which will be promoted in the online environment, within the Global Voices of Youth platform. Voices of Youth (VOY) is a community of young bloggers from all over the world, supported by UNICEF. UNICEF Moldova and the Youth Media Center have been partners for several years, ensuring the right to freedom of expression and participation of adolescents of Republic of Moldova.
APRIL 8 – INTERNATIONAL ROMANI DAY April 8 has been the International Romani Day since 1990, as a day to celebrate the Romani culture and raise awareness about issues faced by Romani people. There have been important advances in strengthening inclusive education for Roma children, with support from UNICEF. The Programme for the Development of Inclusive Education was adopted by the Government in 2011, as well as an action plan to support Roma population, with a focus on education, health and social services. However, children from Roma communities are still experiencing social exclusion and poor access to basic services. Facts and figures about Roma children in Moldova: 88% of Roma think education is important to their children although 1 in 2 Roma children does not attend school. Only two in ten Roma children go to a kindergarten or an early education community centre, as compared to eight in ten non-Roma children.
Prevent, Protect, Immunize
European Immunization Week, marked every year in the last week of April, aims to bring public attention to the importance of vaccination for all children – particularly those who are consistently excluded. This year’s theme for the Week “Prevent, Protect, Immunize” came to highlight the importance of vaccination to child survival. The Immunization Week also celebrated the achievements of the national immunization program in protecting Moldovan children and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. General immunization coverage in Moldova is relatively high. Based on data from the MICS 2012 survey, 89% of the children 15-26 months of age received all recommended vaccines.
IMMUNIZATION WEEK WAS MARKED IN MOLDOVA However, an alarming trend is the slightly declining vaccine coverage to the level where the country is failing to reach target vaccination rates. Data shows that 2 out of 10 urban children are not vaccinated against preventable childhood diseases, which could mean the difference between life and death. The lowest level of coverage is registered for MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella). The public needs to understand that persistent low use of vaccines increases the susceptibility of the population to diseases that can re-emerge any time. For example, the neighbouring Ukraine registered in 2012 a major measles outbreak with more than 11,000 reported cases, while in 2015 there were two cases of polio in the region previously declared polio free.
The permeability of the borders and migration of people is an additional risk factor for the unvaccinated populations. The Immunization Week is an opportunity for all of us, Government, NGOs, media to join forces and inform the public that immunization of every child is vital to prevent disease and protect life and to encourage families
to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases. UNICEF is working to change these numbers and ensure that all children are successfully protected with vaccines from preventable diseases. In 2016, more than 300.000 doses of vaccines for Moldova were procured through UNICEF mechanism ensuring the supply that covers country’s needs.
MOLDOVA ELIMINATED MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF SYPHILIS AND COMMITTED TO ELIMINATE MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV Armenia, Belarus and the Republic of Moldova have worked to ensure early universal access to free services for antenatal care, HIV and syphilis testing for pregnant women and their partners, treatment for women who test positive, early diagnosis in infants, free infant formula and community engagement. These services are provided as part of an equitable, accessible, universal health system in which maternal and child health programmes are integrated with programmes for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Screening and treatment during pregnancy are essential to prevent mother-to-child transmission of syphilis, which can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death in up to 80% cases. Over 60% of European countries offer syphilis testing to pregnant women, and all countries in the Region offer free treatment to syphilis-infected pregnant women.
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VULNERABLE CHILDREN
AND THEIR PARENTS ATTEND A PUPPET THEATRE SHOW IN CHISINAU
International Children’s Day
needs, poor children from remote areas of the country, children from foster families enjoyed entertainment activities such as face painting, dancing and outdoor games. A symbolic launch of “aspiration balloons” took place, with each child writing down a right most important to them and a wish for their future, attaching it to a balloon and releasing it into the air.
More than 250 children from vulnerable groups from all over the coutry came to Chisinau to attend, along with Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova, a puppet show organised especially for them by the Republican Puppet Theatre „Licurici” in partnership with Youth Media Center. Many of these children visited the capital of the country for the first time. Children with special
Artur, 8 years old, said: “I have come to Chisinau with all 5 of my brothers and sisters. I love it so much here.” Artur, like many of the children at the event, lives with only one parent – his mother, who balances two jobs to support the family. When asked what he wrote in his wish note he said “I wished for my mother to work less and for us all to come to Licurici theatre again.
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY –
FOCUS ON CHILD RIGHTS Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova, attended a number of events in Ialoveni on the 1st of June, when Moldova celebrated the International Children’s Day. In Ialoveni, parents learn about child rights at the local Civil Registrar’s Office
The newborns’ registration ceremony at the Ialoveni Civil Registrar Office.
The Ialoveni Civil Registrar’s Office proposed an innovative ceremony of issuing birth certificates for newborns, using it as an excellent opportunity to inform the new parents about child rights. On the 1st of June, on the International Children’s Day, the ceremony was performed for the first time. It has to be mentioned that the Civil Registrar from Ialoveni participated and came 3rd in the national contest on the best “Solemn registration of a newborn” which has been organized by the National Civil Registrar.
Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative to Moldova, being present at the newborns registration ceremony, was introduced to twins, triplets, and quadruplets, talked to young mothers and greeted the fathers holding carefully their newborns.
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Mainstreaming inclusive education – the success story of a preschool in Ialoveni The joy of celebration was shared in ”Licurici” – a preschool where all children, including children with additional needs, are playing, dancing, singing, and learning together. Nune Mangasaryan emphasized once again the importance of robust implementation of the inclusive educational policy in Moldova and its effect on child education, social integration and wellbeing. The „Licurici” preschool in Ialoveni. “Licurici” preschool mainstreams children with special education needs and children with disabilities into regular preschool groups applying child centered
methodology and individual approach in order to meet the needs of every single child. Out of a total number of 550 children, 26 children are with special needs. In the presence of Anatolie Dumitru, the president of the rayon’s council, and Sergiu Armașu, the mayor of Ialoveni, Nune Mangasaryan stressed the crucial role local authorities’ play in the realization of inclusive education policy at the local level. By supporting the kindergarten’s professionals working with children with special needs, the local authorities of Ialoveni contribute to the transformation of education institutions into more friendly and inclusive spaces for all children.