Overview of role

 My primary role it is to coordinate the activities of the Children, Communities, and Families (CCF) team working in the northern part of Moldova. We are working to support family reintegration of children from a residential institution (known as a placement center), prevent further institutionalization, and support the local authorities on these issues. I also coach and mentor the five case managers that work directly with the families and the local authorities. We work with these families includes providing legal, medical and psychological counselling; facilitating social benefits and financial support from the local authorities and donors to the families; facilitating access to kindergarten and school; facilitating access to food, water, hygiene products, clothes, books and toys; and offering support to improve conditions at home. All these activities are conducted together with the local specialists. My team and I believe that families should be able to offer a loving and protective environment for the children and the local public authorities should be able to offer all the support families need.

Background and training

From 2007 to 2010, I was a case manager myself, working directly with families. I helped prepare children and families for reintegration, monitored the families after reintegration, prevented the separation of children from their families. I also helped prepare and support foster families for the children and monitored the care they were providing. Since the families’ situations can be very complex and difficult, I continue to use all the knowledge that I received studying to be a nurse, a psycho[1]educator and a speech therapist. I have also been through many trainings in management and I completed my PhD in psychology in 2010.

Motivation

I believe that one day the residential institutions for children in Moldova will be closed and the families will be able to take care of their children and the local authorities will have the knowledge and resources to help the families in vulnerable situations. I love to see smiles on children’s faces. I like to see people change and their situations improve and I am happy when they start to plan and to dream because this means they are more certain about their future.