Lumos Moldova Celebrates Opening of Chișinău’s First Public Early Intervention Centre for Children with Developmental Disorders
Lumos Moldova, in partnership with UNICEF and the Government of Norway, proudly announces the inauguration of the first Early Intervention Centre integrated within a public medical institution in Chișinău – the Territorial Medical Association Centru (AMT Centru).
This milestone ensures free, specialised early intervention services for children aged 0–5 with developmental disorders or disabilities in Chișinău. The centre, established through the UNICEF project ‘Creating and Developing Early Intervention Services for Children with Developmental Disorders and Disabilities,’ represents a $100,000 investment from the Government of Norway. It offers critical early assessments and personalised support during a child’s formative years, significantly enhancing recovery and development outcomes. Parents also benefit from counselling and a supportive, family-friendly environment to address early signs of developmental challenges.
Every child has the right to a hopeful start in life, with care and opportunities. The opening of the Early Intervention Centre at AMT Centru is more than an institutional achievement—it is a promise to every child and family in need of support. Together with the Lumos Foundation, AMT Centru, and with the generous support of the Government of Norway, we are building a future where no child is left behind.
-Angela Capcelea, Health Specialist at UNICEF Moldova.
The Early Intervention Centre provides free services, funded by the National Health Insurance Company (CNAM). A multidisciplinary team, including a paediatrician, neurologist, speech therapist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and social worker, designs individualised programmes with 10–15 therapy sessions, incorporating parental involvement.
The centre features a sensory room to foster learning through play and exploration in a safe, engaging space.
The first three years of life are crucial for the harmonious development of children, and early identification of risks of delay or disability can make a real difference. For a long time, parents lacked access to integrated services that could offer immediate and professional support. The opening of the centre means greater chances for developmental disorders to be prevented or reduced.
-Marcel Straton, Director of Lumos Moldova.
Angela Paraschiv (pictured centre), State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, added that the centre, “… Marks a key step in strengthening the national network of integrated services for children. The Ministry of Health remains firmly committed to ensuring free and equitable access to quality services, so that every child has the chance for harmonious development and full integration into society.”
Since October 2023, the project has also established Early Intervention Centres in Fălești and Cimișlia, supported by the Government of Germany, and 12 child development offices across these districts.
Through partnerships with UNICEF, national authorities, and international donors, Lumos Moldova continues to expand accessible, tailored early intervention services, bringing hope and support to communities across Moldova.
Find out more about our work in Moldova.
About Lumos
Lumos works to realise every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world. Our vision is a world in which all children grow up in safe and loving families within supported communities.
Founded in 2005 by author J.K. Rowling, Lumos partners with governments, civil society and young people with lived experience to transform care systems globally and advocate for family-based solutions that help children thrive. We ensure that families receive the support they need to stay together or reunite, and that children grow up in family-based settings such as foster or kinship care, not institutions. Despite clear evidence of the harms of institutionalisation, an estimated 5.4 million children worldwide continue to live in institutions. And a much larger number of children are at risk of institutionalisation – those living in poverty, experiencing domestic violence and abuse, and living in countries affected by conflict.
Media Contacts
Please contact Freya Paleit, Deputy Director of Communications at Freya.Paleit@wearelumos.org.