Terre des hommes Foundation and the Centre for the Study of Transnational Families at Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj) are organising in May a series of 5 online courses for social work and child protection professionals in Romania, with the aim of improving support services for transnational families (families who usually live in different countries, but despite this, maintain strong family ties). The first one takes place on 9 May, the others on 16 and 30 May.
Labour migration from Eastern Europe has an undeniable impact on children left at home without one or both parents, even if temporarily. These children are more likely than their peers to suffer from anxiety, depression and other health problems, face social exclusion and stigmatisation, and exhibit anti-social behaviour.
The course aims to contribute to the improvement of services in countries of origin, services offered to transnational families in relation to the social and legal impact of labour migration, by: informing professionals on the particularities and needs of transnational families and, in particular, of children left at home, public policies and models of good practice in countries where there is experience in the field of migration (countries of origin or destination for migration flows). The target audience of this course is service providers in destination countries (national and local authorities, NGOs, social workers, students), countries where there are migrant communities from the above mentioned countries. The aim of our approach is to facilitate the initiation of an appropriate response by service providers in destination countries to the problems and needs of Ukrainian and Moldovan migrants.
Trainer: Dr. Habil. Ecaterina Balica, Coordinator Romanian Observatory on Homicide Studies and Prevention Institute of Sociology - Romanian Academy
Ms Balica is a researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Romanian Academy. She has more than 25 years of experience in research, gained in national and international research projects. Since 2006, she has collaborated in projects on domestic violence, victims of violent crime, restorative justice and international migration (Romanian emigration and refugees). Her experience in the field of research has been complemented by her experience as an associate professor in the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work (University of Bucharest 1994-present), in some legal faculties (Hyperion University, Dimitrie Cantemir University), in some journalism faculties (Higher School of Journalism) and in some technical faculties of Politehnica University of Bucharest.
Professionals from all over the country from the following fields and institutions are expected (online): ANPDCA National Agency for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoption, DGASPS General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection, SPAS Public Social Assistance Services, NGOs, cultural mediators, social workers, students, etc.
The event takes place in the framework of the CASTLE project - Children left at home by labour migration: supporting Moldovan and Ukrainian transnational families in the EU - ICMPD/2021/MPF-357-004. The project is implemented by Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj, in partnership with Terre des hommes Foundation - Aide a l'anfance dans les monde (Romanian delegation), Terre des hommes Moldova, Terre des hommes Ukraine, Ukrainian Institute for Social Research after Oleksandr Yaremenko and the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova.
The main objective of this project is to support the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in improving their child protection frameworks and migration and mobility policies, with a focus on the social and legal impact of labour migration on transnational families. More details can be found by watching this video: https://www.facebook.com/100075874216327/videos/221519463873788.
The project is funded by the European Union and ICMPD (International Centre for Migration Policy Development) under the Mobility Partnership Fund III and runs from 15 June 2021 to 15 December 2023.
About the project partners:
Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj (UBB). By establishing a research centre for the study of transnational families within the structure of Babeș-Bolyai University of Romania, this action aims to promote research and institutionalize the study of transnational families, which is currently not only rare and dispersed, but too often not solution-oriented and rather disconnected from the field of policy-making, especially in relation to labour migration. Diversity and inclusion considerations will be at the heart of the research and attention will be given to the risks, needs and opportunities faced by children left behind, differentiated by gender, age and diversity (socio-economic status, ethnicity, education, disability, etc.) to suggest the design of appropriate protection frameworks. Secondly, translating this knowledge from research into operational intervention, the action will combine direct action, training and awareness raising activities using participatory methods to better protect and empower left-behind children and their families. This action will directly support Moldova and Ukraine in strengthening institutional support to transnational families, as well as to the benefit of Romania and EU Member States in general, by creating and disseminating information, technical advice and good practices that promote safe and ethical labour migration schemes aligned with child protection standards.
Terre des hommes (Tdh) is Switzerland's leading children's aid organisation. Through our health, protection and emergency aid programmes, we provide assistance to more than four million children and their families in around 40 countries every year. Terre des hommes is an independent, neutral and impartial Swiss organisation committed to making a significant and lasting difference to the lives of children and young people, especially those most at risk. In Romania, Ukraine and Moldova, Tdh teams work to create a safer environment for children's development and to protect children from abuse, neglect and exploitation. We mobilise communities to prevent situations of risk and train multidisciplinary professionals such as social workers and teachers to better protect children.
The Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (AESM) is the main public institution of higher education with economic profile in Moldova. The Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova was established in 1991, but has its roots in an educational faculty established in 1953. The University has stated its aim to "enable the integration of higher economic education and scientific research" and "not only develop specialized professionals, but also build a new mentality in the spirit of freedom of thought, action, pragmatism and efficiency of life".
The Ukrainian Institute of Social Research after Oleksandr Yaremenko is based in Kiev. The main activities of the Institute are: implementation of fundamental and exploratory sociological and social scientific research on current problems of modern Ukrainian society; monitoring of social policy; study and analysis of interests, dispositions, orientations, needs of the population; conducting various marketing research.
