2024 Theme: Ending the placement of young children in institutional care – from policy to action
The Moldova Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, in cooperation with Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) Moldova and local partner CCF Moldova, organized an international conference on March 21, 2024 titled “Child protection and care reform in the context of Moldova – EU Association agenda: Ending the placement of young children in institutional care – from policy to action.” The conference was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Research, UNICEF, Keystone Moldova, and Partnerships for Every Child.
During the conference, more than 100 participants, representing the wide array of care reform actors and decision makers in the central and local government, NGOs, academia and international experts, reviewed findings of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project and national research conducted in 2023 on the potential for a moratorium on placing children 0-6 in institutional care.
The conference culminated in participatory discussions with the goal of agreeing on a roadmap for priority actions to prevent and end institutionalization of children aged 0-6 in Moldova as well as specific next steps to be taken by the government and relevant stakeholders.