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The reduction of the negative effects of migration on children and raising the level of access of social services by families affected by the phenomenon in the region of Moldova of Romania. This is the general objective of the project „Strengthening the role  of NGOs in developing social services”, implemented by Alternative Sociale and Asociatia Betania in partnership with InterCultural Iceland, the Iasi County Department of Social Assistance and Child Protection and the Bacau County Department of Social Assistance and Child Protection between March 2015 and May 2016. The project includes an important support component addressed to children and families affected by migration but also one dedicated to professionals from social services from the two counties.

At least 200 children and families from the counties of Iasi and Bacau will benefit from support services, consisting of counselling and information on their rights and obligations, mediation of the relationship among the members of the family or of the family with public and private institutions, material aid and psychological counselling. The parents or the persons in charge of raising children whose parents work abroad will attend 10 meetings with specialists from the partner organisations in order to discuss about effectively ensuring the protection of children affected by migration and about the importance of accessing support social services.

The situation of these children and the importance of accessing social services by persons responsible for their caring will be promoted to the population of the region of Moldova through a sensitization campaign aimed at families and communities. At least 25.000 persons affected by migration will be informed through printed materials but also through the participation in TV and radio programmes and in the news. A Guide for accessing social services by families affected by migration will also be created and distributed during the project implementation to persons who have children from the target group in their care or to other potential beneficiaries of social services from the target group.

The project also aims to fight against prejudice, which children and families affected by migration are often victims of. In this regard the project includes a training on antidiscrimination for 40 professionals from social services from Iasi and Bacau. They will be trained by two experts from InterCultural Iceland, an organization with a vast experience in key fields such as migration and antidiscrimination. The participants to the training, selected from professionals who create programs and lead intervention teams from the public or private sector in the two target counties, will acquire information and abilities to become catalysts of antidiscrimination in the institutions and in the areas in which they work.

Also, Alternative Sociale and Betania Association, with the support of Iaşi and Bacău County Departments of Social Assistance and Child Protection will organize 6 meetings with the participation of at least 120 social workers and persons with social work attributions from rural areas in order to provide them with information on the specifics of the situation of the children affected by migration, of the psycho-social assistance of this category of beneficiaries and with regards to strengthening anti-discrimination attitudes and practices in the provision of services and education of the community.

Alternative Sociale and Betania Association will invite private and public institutions from Iasi and Bacau to a dialogue on the promotion of co-decision, co-funding and co-provision of social services. In that respect in each of the two counties will be organized two work meetings which aim at rendering the collaboration of the above-mentioned institutions for providing social services to vulnerable groups.

The main activities of the project

Provision of social and basic services to families affected by migration. Starting with aprilie 2015, for 12 months, the project offers social assistance services for 200 children from the counties of Iasi and Bacau (from urban and rural areas) for the prevention and reduction of the negative effects of migration (risk of abuse/neglect, behaviour, social, cultural, school, adjustment issues etc.).

Workshops for the promotion of co-decision, co-funding and co-provision of social services. During the months of April-May 2015 and March-April 2016 specialists involved in the project will attend a workshop on the inter-institutional collaboration from the perspective of co-decision, co-funding and co-provision of social services.

Seminars in the field of anti-discrimination. Throughout November-December 2015 the partner InterCultural Iceland will train 40 professionals from key positions in their organizations/institutions (from Iasi and Bacau) during two trainings aimed at developing professional competences for combating discrimination.

Meetings with professionals from rural areas. During June 2015 – March 2016, the project will organize in Iasi and Bacau 6 meetings (approximately 120 persons) with social workers and persons with social work attributions with the purpose of providing them with information on the specifics of the psycho-social assistance of families affected by migration and promoting antidiscrimination in the provision of social services and educating the community.

Campaign for the promotion of accessing social and basic services for children affected by migration from the region of Moldova. The campaign is developed during the months of June 2015-April 2016 and includes the creation of a guide and poster, 2 press conferences, 10 information meetings (5 in the county of Iasi and 5 in the county of Bacau) with at least 200 parents and persons in charge of caring children affected by migration from rural areas, TV and radio programmes, printed materials, articles in the local and regional media and on social media (Facebook).

The project Strengthening the role of NGOs in developing social services is financed by the EEA grants 2009 – 2014, through the NGO Fund in Romania (www.fondong.fdsc.ro). The budget of the project is 165.824,40 euro, from which 149.241,96 non-refundable funding. For official information on the SSEE and Norway grants visit www.eeagrants.org.