MOLDOVA / CHILD CARE REFORM

Out of an estimated 2 million children who are in institutionalized care around the world, more than 800,000come from Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States. Many young and disabled children are abandoned in institutions or living at home without specialized care. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:32
• Production Date: 15 December 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: SOCIAL WELFARE; SOCIAL SERVICES
• Geographic Subject: MOLDOVA
• MAMS Id: U091215e

Description

STORY: MOLDOVA / CHILDCARE REFORM
TRT: 2.32
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: MOLDOVAN / ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 24 NOVEMBER 2009, CHISINAU, MOLDOVA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Tudor Culeanu’s film showing children standing by departing train
2. Med shot, Tudor playing football
3. Med shot, children sitting on bench watching football
4. Med shot of Tudor chasing football
5. SOUNDBITE (Moldovan) Tudor Culeanu, age 15:
"This film was a great possibility for me to tell the world that I have a dream for my mother to come back home and I would like other children to have this possibility to make a film about their lives."
6. Wide shot, “One Minute Junior” screened at Child Care System Reform
conference
7. Wide shot, conference delegates and One Minute Junior film makers
8. Wide shot, conference delegates
9. Med shot, conference speakers
10. Close up, female delegate
11. Close up, Jean-Claude Legrand, child protection regional adviser
12. Med shot, children hold hands playing at children's institution
in Straseni
13. Med shot, children hold hands walking in circle at children's
institution in Straseni
14. Close up, child at institution in Straseni
15. Wide shot, children playing at institution in Straseni
16. Tracking shot, child playing game at institution in Straseni
17. Close up, two children at institution in Straseni
18. Med shot, documents
19. Close up, cover of document
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Allen, UNICEF Regional Director Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States:
"I hope this meeting will achieve for the five countries that are here, a new energy and a commitment to reforming child care systems, so that children in institutions separated by their families either by economic crisis or migration can find a new way to be cared for, and indeed, be reunited with their natural families."
19. Wide shot, Tudor and friend walking towards camera down corridor
20. Med shot, Tudor showing film on computer
21. Close up, computer screen
22. Close up, Tudor's face
23. Pan right, from computer screen across to Tudor and friend

Storyline

A heart wrenching message scrawled on a carriage: "Mum, come back home!"

As the night train for Moscow leaves Chisinau, it takes away a mother,
forced to leave her family behind to seek work.

This is a scene from a short film produced through UNICEF's “One Minute Junior” programme. But for the 15-year-old film maker Tudor, art is inspired by harsh reality.

Tudor is one of nine siblings abandoned when their mother moved to Russia to find work.

Home is now a large institution housing more than 300 children near
Chisinau.

SOUNDBITE (Moldovan) Tudor Culeanu, 15 years old:
"This film was a great possibility for me to tell the world that I have a
dream for my mother to come back home and I would like other children to
have this possibility to make a film about their lives."

Several short films produced by Moldovan children were presented in
Chisinau at a high-level conference on Child Care System Reform.

Delegates from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine agreed to
develop community-based services and phase out state-run children’s
institutions.

Out of an estimated two-million children who are in institutionalized care
around the world, more than 800,000 come from Central and Eastern Europe
and Commonwealth of Independent States.

Many young and disabled children are abandoned in institutions or living
at home without specialized care.

To help prevent separating children from their families, governments were
urged to accelerate child care reforms by reallocating existing social and
family support resources.

SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Allen, UNICEF Regional Director Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States:
"I hope this meeting will achieve for the five countries that are here, a
new energy and a commitment to reforming child care systems, so that
children in institutions separated by their families either by economic
crisis or migration can find a new way to be cared for, and indeed, be
reunited with their natural families."

Poverty, migration and disabilities often push families to abandon their
children.

Tudor hopes his story will not only reach parents facing similar problems
to his family but also leaders in governments that can make a real
difference in the lives of children living in institutions.

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ENDS