Moldova

This country page features an interactive, icon-based data dashboard providing a national-level overview of the status of children’s care and care reform efforts (a “Country Care Snapshot”), along with a list of resources and organizations in the country.

List of Organisations

demographic_data

Demographic Data

Add New Data Explore Data
2.71 million
Total Population
World Bank, 2018
669476
People
Total Population Under 18
Estimate
24.74%
Population Under 18
 
Census Data, 2019
2.8
People
Mean Household Size
United Nations, 2017
33.7%
Prevalence of Female-Headed Households
 
DHS 2005
Lower Middle Income Country
World Bank GNI Status
World Bank, 2019
9.6%
Living Below Poverty Line
 
World Bank, 2018
25.7
GINI Coefficient
World Bank, 2018
0.71
Human Development Index
UNDP Human Development Report, 2018

childrens_living_arrangement

Children's Living Arrangements

Add New Data Explore Data
%
Country
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN
63.1%
Living with Both Parents
 
UNICEF MICS, 2012
25.2%
Living with One Parent
 
UNICEF MICS, 2012
10.6%
Living with Neither Parent
 
UNICEF MICS, 2012
%
Effective
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN

children_living_without_bio

Children Living Without Biological Parents

Add New Data Explore Data
26.4%
Living With a Non-Relative
 
DHS
88%
Both Parents Alive
 
MICS 2012
8%
One Parent Dead
 
MICS 2012
3%
Both Parents Dead
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN

Children at Risk of Separation

Add New Data Explore Data
Children with Disabilities
238
Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Left Behind Children (Migration)
36,817
Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Street Connected Children
94
Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Children Experiencing Violence
10,094
Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Children in Conflict with the Law
1,215
Children
Banca de date statistice Moldova, 2019
Children in Informal Kinship Care
33,718
Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Children Whose Parents Are Subject to Judicial Protection
43
Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)

Formal Alternative Care Arrangements

Add New Data Explore Data
0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Total Family-Based Alternative Care
- - Families/Parents
3,509 Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Foster Care
- - Foster Families/Foster Parents
1,035 Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Formal Kinship Care
- - Families/Parents
2,474 Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Total Residential Care
- - Settings
961 Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Residential Institutions (RIs)
- - Settings
346 Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Small Group Homes
- - Settings
57 Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)
Temporary Placement Centers
- - Settings
558 Children
Statistical report (annual) no. 103 on children at risk and children separated from their parents (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2019)

adoption

NO DATA AVAIABLE
Country
NO SOURCE GIVEN
649
children
Domestic Adoption
Data Source: Annual Social Report 2018 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection); Date range: 2012-2018
i
Date range: 2012-2018. The total number of adopted children in evidence in 2019 was 1,549.
67
children
Inter-country Adoption
Data Source: Annual Social Report 2018 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection); Date range: 2012-2018
i
Date range: 2012-2019
NO DATA AVAIABLE
Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN

Parental Survivorship

Add New Data Explore Data
94.4%
Children with Both Parents Alive
 
MICS 2012
4.3%
Children with One Parent Alive
 
MICS 2012
0.3%
Children with Both Parents Dead
 
MICS 2012

Progress Indicators

Add New Data Explore Data
Country
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN
NO DATA AVAILABLE
Social Welfare Spending
NO SOURCE GIVEN
MDL 2.44 billion
Child Protection Spending
BUGETUL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA, 2020
i
*Child and Family Protection spending Child and Family Protection spending is approx. 3,22% of the expected National public expenditure budgeted for 2020. This mostly covers state insurance allowances for families with newborns, and childcare leave till the age of three. However, this amount also covers expenditures for childcare services allowances for children in alternative care.
Alternative Care Policy in Line with the 2009 Guidelines
 
Yes
Action Plan for 2016-2020 on the implementation of the Strategy for Child Protection for 2014-2020; MEASURE Evaluation, 2018; LEGE Nr. 140 privind protecţia specială a copiilor aflaţi în situaţie de risc şi a copiilor separaţi de părinţi
Centralised Authority on Adoption
 
Yes
LEGE Nr. 99 privind regimul juridic al adopţiei
Commitment to Deinstitutionalistion
 
Yes
Action Plan for 2016-2020 on the implementation of the Strategy for Child Protection for 2014-2020
Comprehensive Child Protection Law
 
Yes
LEGE Nr. 140 privind protecţia specială a copiilor aflaţi în situaţie de risc şi a copiilor separaţi de părinţi
Continuum of Alternative Care Services Available
 
Limited
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Note: Even though most needed alternative care services are relegated, they are not available to all children who need them. Communication between child protection authorities should be substantially improved, case management, M&E system should also be improved. It is not always possible to track the child's journey through the childcare system.
Data System
 
Mostly
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
There is no integrated informational system on child protection, but the data is collected by the central government via Excel charts or printed tools on the yearly basis. However, with USAID support, the project aimed to develop an Integrated Information System on Child Protection is under implementation. The system will focus on collecting longitudinal data related to childcare and child protection case management.
Existence of a Regulatory Body and Regulatory System
 
Yes
LEGE Nr. 140 privind protecţia specială a copiilor aflaţi în situaţie de risc şi a copiilor separaţi de părinţi; LEGE Nr. 547 asistenţei sociale; LEGE Nr. 123 cu privire la serviciile sociale
Gatekeeping Mechanism/Policy
 
Yes
Action Plan for 2016-2020 on the implementation of the Strategy for Child Protection for 2014-2020; LEGE Nr. 140 privind protecţia specială a copiilor aflaţi în situaţie de risc şi a copiilor separaţi de părinţi; HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 7 cu privire la aprobarea Regulamentului-cadru privind organizarea şi funcţionarea Comisiei pentru protecţia copilului aflat în dificultate; Case Management Practical Guide (Partnerships for Every Child, Government of the Republic of Moldova & Advancing Partners and Communities, 2017); The Family Support Service Practical Guide (Partnerships for Every Child, Advancing Partners and Communities, 2017)
Means of Tracking Progress with Reforms
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
There was no systematic tracking of progress. However, the Government/Line Ministries are supplying fragmentary information on the situation in the area of childcare and child protection .
Moratorium on Admission into Institutions for Children Under 3
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
While there is no moratorium on admission of children under 3 into institutions, one of the sub-objectives of the child protection Strategy (2014-2020) is to "significantly decrease the number of children under 3 placed in the Residential Institutions"
Moratorium on New Institutions
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
There is no formal government document, prohibiting the opening of new Residential Institutions (RIs), however there were no new big RIs opened in the last five years, except for several small group homes.
National Action Plan to Guide Reforms
 
Yes
Action Plan for 2016-2020 on the implementation of the Strategy for Child Protection for 2014-2020; Decision no. 523 on the approval of the Program for the development of inclusive education in the Republic of Moldova for the years 2011-2020
National Standards of Care
 
Yes
National Accreditation System of Social Service Providers
i
Almost all childcare and child protection services have Regulations and Minimum Quality Standards, approved by the Government. National Accreditation System of Social Service Providers is in place, as well as Social Inspection.
Prevention of Separation Services Available
 
Yes
LEGE Nr. 140; LEGE Nr. 547; LEGE Nr. 123; Case Management Practical Guide (Partnerships for Every Child, Government of the Republic of Moldova & Advancing Partners and Communities, 2017); The Family Support Service Practical Guide (Partnerships for Every Child, Advancing Partners and Communities, 2017); HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 7; HOTĂRÎRE Nr. HG143/2018; HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 441; HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 270; HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 1182
Support for Careleavers (in Legislation and in Practice)
 
Partly
HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 132; Decizia nr. 3/4 din 18 iunie 2018; Decizia nr. 3/3 din 18 iunie 2018
i
Note: While there is support for careleavers in legislation, the support is not enough and efforts are being made by the government and CSOs to develop and make accessible more support services for care leavers (e.g. Social Assisted Living, Social and Professional Integration Centers, involvement/participation in the decision-making process)

social_work_force

Social Service Workforce

Add New Data Explore Data
Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Country
388.32
Workers
Annual Social Report 2018 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, 2018)
No. of government social service workers with child protection responsibilities (per 100,000 children)
Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
A national workforce assessment and analysis carried out within the past four years
 
Yes
Comprehensive analysis of workforce in Social Protection, realized in 2016
i
Source: Assessing Alternative Care for Children in Moldova: Assessment Report (Volume 1)
A system of licensing/registration of social service professionals
 
Yes
HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 998 pentru aprobarea Regulamentului privind organizarea şi funcţionarea Consiliului naţional de acreditare a prestatorilor de servicii sociale, a structurii şi efectivului-limită ale acestuia

Other Relevant Reforms

Add New Data
Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Child Protection
i
Initiatives are in place to improve the situation of children with disabilities, children in conflict with law and children in street situations. New Program for Child Protection and costed Action Plan are to be elaborated for 2021-2030.
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Decentralisation
i
The reform on decentralisation of Local Public Administration and Local Public Finances is in progress but there are substantial issues related to financing of social services for children as a mandatory obligation of Local Public Authorities, similarly to school education sector financing.
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Social Protection
i
Efforts are made to consolidate the authority of National Council for Accreditation of Social Service Providers and Social Inspection. Social support benefits for vulnerable persons are regularly revised and increased as well as the amounts of allowances for families with children at risk and without parental care.
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Education
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
New Program for the development of inclusive education is to be elaborated for 2021-2030

drivers_of_institutionalisation

Drivers of Institutionaliziation

Add New Data
Country
Push Factors
Pull Factors
Effective

key_research_and_information

Key Data Sources

Add New Data
Country
Effective

Acknowledgements

Data for this country care snapshot was contributed by partners at Lumos and Changing the Way We Care.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 182

List of Organisations

Changing the Way We Care,

Since care reform is a long and complex process, requiring collaboration between many diverse actors, with different change pathways in diverse contexts, the Changing the Way We Care initiative set out to learn from different demonstration countries, build national and regional knowledge, and reinforce global momentum for family care. This learning brief describes some of that journey.

This brief shares how the initiative used CLA related to the social service workforce strengthening and case management.

Catholic Relief Services,

Daniela Mamaliga, Director of Partnerships for Every Child, presents the findings and conclusions of a comprehensive 2022 financial assessment conducted by CTWWC in six residential institutions. The financial assessments aimed to inform political decisions on the future of the six institutions, including their transformation/reorganization plans. Ms. Mamaliga highlights that though the average annual cost for caring for a child is increasing in all six institutions, even as number of children and staff is decreasing in some of them.

Catholic Relief Services,

“When we talk about equity and efficiency and what is right for children, when we provide services to families and children, we need to make sure that we are not just investing wisely, but that we are reaching

Catholic Relief Services,

As an experienced social worker and practice lead at Social Work Scotland, Vivien Thomson shares valuable insights underscoring the importance of investing in the social service workforce to drive meaningful care reform. Drawing from lessons learned in Scotland's Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) policy framework, Ms. Thomson, illuminates the critical role of social workers and the need to empower them as the glue that holds together multi-agency teams.

Catholic Relief Services,

Former World Bank Economist and President of Maestral International, Philip Goldman, makes a compelling, data-driven case for the need for a paradigm shift in how Moldova approaches the financing of care and protection of its children.

Changing the Way We Care,

Case management is used with both families at risk of separation and those where children have already separated and are in the process of being reintegrated, including biological family or placed into an alternative family (e.g., foster or kinship). The end goal of case management is that children are safe and nurtured within a family that is able to care for them, and access needed services that address risks and increase resilience.   

Changing the Way We Care,

Ghidul de suport pentru implementarea practică a Managementului de caz în domeniul protecției copilului este destinat angajaților structurilor teritoriale de asistență socială.

Changing the Way We Care,

Conferința internațională “Finanțarea serviciilor sociale pentru copii și familii în contextul Agendei de Asociere Republica Moldova – Uniunea Europeană” este un eveniment anual organizat sub egida Parlamentului Republicii Moldova în colaborare cu

Changing the Way We Care,

Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) promotes safe, nurturing family care for children reintegrating from residential care facilities (often referred to as “orphanages”) and prevents child-family separation by strengthening families, reforming national systems of care for children, and working to shift donor and volunteer support away from residential care and toward family care alternatives.

Transforming Children's Care Collaborative,

This webinar aimed to show care reform advocates can use budget analysis, cost estimates and evidence on long-term economic benefits to make the case for investing in a more a child-centered social welfare system.