Moldovan parliament hosts debates on childcare public policies development

Chisinau, 23 May /MOLDPRES/-The development of childcare public policies for children of up to three years old, was debated in the parliament today. The debate was organized by the Joint Dialogue Platform of Moldovan Female MPs, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.

The event aimed to identify suggestions to improve the legislative framework and allow the reconciliation of professional and personal life. Attending the debates were MPs, representatives of ministries in charge, representatives of Moldovan trade unions and employers’ association, as well as delegates of the civil society and development partners.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Liliana Palihovici said the public debates were meant to offer a clear prospective on legislative documents that should be amended to facilitate the development of qualitative childcare services, based on the conclusions and studies of the civil society and development partners.

“The legislation should be improved in order to achieve more qualitative childcare services and a better prospective for women when returning back on the labour market. The current legislation is outdated and does not entirely comply with the reality. We will insist upon amending it to provide a rapid development of nursery services, taking into account the specifics of each locality,” Palihovici said.  

The deputy speaker also noted that the Group of Migrant and Elder Women would attend the next round of debates organized by the Dialogue Platform of Moldovan Female MPs, in order to find solutions to improve the legislation in the field.

Current childcare public services for children of up to three years old were unveiled by Labour, Social Protection and Family Minister Stela Grigoras. According to her, they do not encourage the return of women onto the labour market, participation of men into the educational process and birth of more children in young families. Given these stances, Grigoras came up with more parent-support initiatives, currently examined by the government. They focus on increasing the single allowance at childbirth, carrying out a normative framework for early educational child day-care centers from the age of four months, professional training of nannies and offering them the opportunity to get an entrepreneurial patent, as well as the gradual decrease of the parental leave’s length.

For her part, Education Minister Corina Fusu spoke about the important need to modernize nurseries, expand their number depending on the specifics of the settlements, endow them with necessary goods and provide educators with professional training. Fusu said that the Education Ministry was carrying out a set of normative documents to improve the situation in the childcare field for children up to three years old, due to be ready until 2016.

The head of the commission for social protection, health and family, Oxana Domenti, unveiled the legislative initiatives recorded in parliament and backed by all MPs of the commission, aimed at improving policies of support on behalf of the state for families on the period of taking care of the child. It is about a string of legislative amendments and completions which provide for the increase of the quantum of allowance for taking care of the child, as well as of the duration the leave paid by the state by 6 months, better social protection measures for insured parents, who will have freedom to choose one of the payment schemes proposed. Also, the lawmakers propose to pay the allowance to non-insured people till the children turn two years, as well as to improve the mechanism of financing from the state budget of services of education and taking care of children in crèches and kindergartens starting from the age of 2 years.    

“The demographic situation in Moldova is quite alarming; therefore, both policies to enhance the birthrate and a consolidated social security system, with solutions for each risky situation, are necessary,” Oxana Domenti said during debates.   

In the same context, MP Valentina Buliga urged the competent institutions to communicate efficiently, to find the most suitable solutions for the good of children from Moldova, to develop the public-private partnership, draft laws that are to fit the European requirements, in order to bring up generations of healthy children. For her part, lawmaker Zinaida Grecianii proposed to work out a state programme for backing families and children, with the support of development partners.  

Representatives of the civil society, development partners, trade unions and employers welcomed the authorities’ proposals. They expressed support to contribute to improving the situation in the sector of taking care of children up to the age of 3, so that each child benefits from quality services.  

The Common Platform of Dialogue of Women Lawmakers of the Moldovan parliament, set up on 12 March 2015, is aimed at setting communication between women MPs, for a better cooperation in promoting subjects of common interest in the society.  

(Editor A. Raileanu)