What should parents working abroad know when coming back home for holidays

Parents who work abroad and return for holidays are encouraged to combine useful things with pleasure and use their visit to Moldova as an opportunity to arrange the tutorship/guardianship of their child with a close person. According to the experts in safe migration from the International Center “La Strada”, this action is not only a formality, but also brings many advantages to the child, who is already vulnerable due to parents’ departure.

As stated by the source, in the majority of situations, people who choose to leave abroad for work believe that if they leave their child in care of a relative - brother, sister, aunt, grandmother – the child will be safe. Unfortunately, these children get into the risk group.

“Generally, setting up the tutorship/guardianship does not imply very big efforts, but only informing the authorities with a simple request. The procedure is free and the nominated person will further be temporarily responsible for the child. For example, in cases when you are away and your child got sick and must be taken to hospital. According to the legislation, if the guardianship was not set up, the person who is taking care of the child will have to make additional payments in order to stay in the hospital with the child. Also, he/she will have to take unpaid vacation days from work. On the other side, in case the guardianship over the child was set up, the person will be able to stay in the hospital for free, until the child is cured, and can take a paid sick leave at work. This example seems trivial, but it reflects some of the benefits of setting up the guardianship over a child, while parents are abroad for work”, explained Daniela Misail-Nichitin, Director of Women’s Program within the International Center “La Strada”.

The guardianship is set up at the Directorate for the Protection of Child Rights in the locality where the child lives, when he/she is in care of a single parent or when both parents are abroad.

For any other information related to safe departure abroad from the Republic of Moldova, anyone can call the free Hotline for safe migration at 0 800 77777 or to contact a consultant by accessing www.migratiesigura.md. The calls from abroad can be made at the number +373 (22) 23 33 09. The service is managed by the International Center “La Strada”.