Moldova lacks unified policy on disabled children

There is no unified policy on the children with disabilities in Moldova. The number of centers for disabled children is low. There is no mechanism for monitoring the services provided for such children even if the authorities adopted minimum standards for the day centers intended for children with disabilities, the association Somato says in a communique, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Somato, about 44,000 children in Moldova have different disability degrees, 429,000 suffer from different diseases, about 6,100 are affected by mental disorders and pathologies, while over 30,000 suffer from diseases of the central nervous system and sensory organs. The association's head Jana Chihai said there are 67 institutions for children with disabilities in Moldova. Twenty-eight of them are auxiliary schools located mainly in villages. More than 11,000 children go to these schools. There are 12 specialized kindergartens attended by 1,114 children with disabilities and special needs. About 700 children go to boarding schools for children with severe mental retardation. There are also 30 social protection centers for families with disabled children, 25 day centers, one placement center and four rehabilitation centers. These data were presented at a meeting of the World Health Organization in Belgrade by Jana Chihai, who is the national manager of the Implementation of Social Cohesion by Switching from Residential Care for Disabled Children to Community Care Project – a WHO initiative forming part of the Southeastern Europe Health Network.