Cahul, 15th September 2015. “Casa Mea” (My Home) reintegration centre was inaugurated on 15th September in Cahul. The Centre’s beneficiaries are children and young people, orphans and those left without parental care, aged between 16 and 23, who have reduced chances for family and community reintegration upon exit from alternative care. The capacity of the Centre is 8 persons. In addition to housing and care services, the facility provides social and psychological assistance, as well as professional reorientation. The social reintegration centre works within “Impreuna” (Together) Complex of social services, created as a result of the reorganization of Cahul residential school, supported by Partnerships for Every Child /P4EC/.
Inauguration of such a centre is very important for young people/children who, due to a variety of reason, have to grow up in residential institutions and who do not have a family where they could return upon leaving residential care, said the director of the Complex of social services Emilia Mocanu. “ Our goal is to prepare these young people for independent life, to support them in community integration. We encourage their interaction with their peers in the community, because this is the only way in which they can develop their own support network necessary in adult life. Due to the support provided by P4EC the Centre is duly equipped and provides adequate conditions for the young people to develop individual life skills and feel at home”, added Mrs. Mocanu.
Stela Grigoras, director of P4EC, mentioned that the inauguration of this centre closes the transformation of the residential institution. “Due to professional management and leadership of the former residential school’s administration we managed to create a complex of social services that promotes family and community integration of children and young people”, underlined Mrs. Grigoras.
The reorganization of Cahul residential school started in 2007. This institution was, in fact, the first residential facility in the country to undergo transformation under the Residential child care reform strategy. Apart from this reintegration centre for children and young people, “Impreuna” complex of social services also includes a placement facility organized in 6 modules housing 30 children under 16 – orphans or temporary left without parental care; 5 workshops (computer lab, carpentry, tailor’s, bee-culture, and cooking area) where the beneficiaries of the Centre and children from the community are provided opportunity to develop life skills and learn a craft. In addition, social day-care services, such as sport and other activities, are provided to children from the community.
Partnerships for Every Child has a history of about 20 years of activity in the Republic of Moldova. Currently the organization collaborates with Moldovan local public authorities to develop programs focusing on the prevention of child-family separation, alternative care of children separated from their parents, and family, school, and community integration of children and young people exiting alternative care. At the national level, P4EC provides technical assistance to the Government, implementing the child care reform and improving the policies, legal network, and services for families and children.