A powerful joint commitment from both the Moldovan government and the European Union was on display at the high-level round table, Enhancing Child Protection and Care Reform in Moldova through EU Accession, held on 25 June at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The event was co-organised by Hope and Homes for Children and European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu MEP, who also hosted the gathering.
Participants included Moldovan self-advocates, civil society organisations, UNICEF, Save the Children Romania, senior officials from the Moldovan government, the European Commission DG Employment and Social Policy (EMPL) and DG Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (ENEST), the Moldovan Ambassador to the EU, and the UK Counsellor for Trade, Sustainability and Markets to the EU. Together, they reflected on progress to date and shared their experiences and aspirations for child protection and care reform in Moldova.
Key Recommendations
The recommendations to the Moldovan government were grouped around three core themes: sustained political will, strengthening family support, and enabling child participation. These included:
- Accelerate the transition from institutional to family- and community-based care as a priority reform under the Fundamental Rights chapter of Moldova’s EU accession process. Develop a detailed, budgeted action plan, including by ringfencing funds under the Moldova Facility.
- Strengthen family support services, particularly for children with disabilities and complex needs, and encourage families to care for all children, including those with disabilities.
- Enforce a moratorium on admitting children to residential institutions especially those aged 0–6.
- Implement the European Child Guarantee as a central pillar of Moldova’s EU integration strategy.
- Ensure a strong inter-agency coordination
- Ensure meaningful child participation, including:
• Awareness campaigns in schools and communities about genuine inclusion;
• Public promotion of success stories from care-experienced young people;
• Integrated feedback and accountability mechanisms in Child Care reform policies and practices;
• Stronger collaboration across public, private, and NGO sectors to ensure care-experienced young people are employed, supported, and respected.
EU and Moldovan Authorities Show Support
Vice-President Negrescu called on the EU to provide the necessary technical, political, and financial support to help Moldova complete this crucial reform. He urged the Moldovan authorities to ringfence a portion of the Moldova Facility specifically to implement the European Child Guarantee.
He also announced that the European Parliament will open an office in Chișinău in the coming months, allowing civil society organisations in Moldova to engage more directly with EU institutions.
‘EU policy of deinstitutionalisation is very important for Moldova and the government needs to start working on it from day zero. Yesterday was already too late, two weeks ago was too late,’ said Katarina Ivanković Knežević, Director for Social Rights and Inclusion, DG EMPL, EC.
Speaking at the event, Vasile Cușcă, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova, reaffirmed the government’s priorities, including the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, deinstitutionalisation, and the development and extension of both new and existing family-type social services.
‘The topic of child protection will be part of the roadmap on enlargement’, confirmed Laura Bretea, Team Leader Moldova, DG ENEST, European Commission.
Moldova Could Lead by Example
With strong domestic commitment and the EU recognising child protection reform as a monitored area within the accession process, Moldova has a unique opportunity: it could become the first candidate country to complete this reform before EU accession.
