A number of 55 new cars were distributed to local social assistance institutions in order to facilitate the provision of services in hard-to-reach localities and to reach the beneficiaries faster. The donation was made within the framework of the RESTART reform to modernize and streamline the social assistance system, IPN reports.

The cars will be used for such services as professional foster care, social care at home, personal assistance, family home activity, mobile teams and for assessment, monitoring and supervision visits. According to the authorities, the new batch of vehicles will allow to expand activities in isolated communities, where access to services was limited.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu said that, through these investments, the social assistance system becomes efficient and gets closer to the citizens: "We are glad that we were able to purchase 55 new cars. This will help us to promptly deal with risk situations." The minister said that during a year, the number of vehicles managed by social institutions trebled to 164.

For her part, MP Marina Morozova stressed that mobile social assistance services are now available in each district, unlike last year, when only a few districts were covered. Morozova noted the constant involvement of social workers in localities in order to provide support to vulnerable people every day.

Emilia Ciobanu, head of the North-West local social assistance agency, said that such a wave of investments in equipping teams and training staff working in the system was never witnessed before. "The donation of cars will essentially contribute to bringing social services closer to local communities, where access is often difficult," she said.

The donation was made in the context of the implementation of the RESTART reform launched by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The reform aims to improve the management of the social assistance system and ensure equitable access to services for the vulnerable population. Among the problems identified before the start of the reform are the lack of an integrated information system, difficulties related to coordination between local and central authorities, as well as the financing mechanisms, which did not stimulate the performance and quality of services.