In one of the rooms at the Early Childhood Intervention Centre at the Institute of Mother and Child in Chișinău, Samuel moves from one activity to another. Different toys and objects are placed in front of him, one by one. Some immediately catch his attention; others take him a little longer. Mariana Calac, Head of the Centre, watches him carefully and takes notes, while his father closely follows each of his reactions.Samuel is four and a half years old and is the first child to be assessed at the Institute of Mother and Child using ADOS-2 – one of two new standardized assessment tools provided to the Centre with UNICEF support. ADOS-2 is internationally recognized as one of the leading assessment tools used when autism spectrum disorder is suspected.For Samuel’s mother, however, this day is not about a test or a label. It is about a question she has been asking for almost two years: “What do we do next?”“I wouldn’t say I have great expectations of the test or of therapy. My expectations are of myself. Whatever this assessment tells us, to me it is a characteristic of my child at this stage of his life. It doesn’t mean we put a full stop there and that everything is over. I look at where things are more difficult for him, and that is where we work. Six months later, we come back and see what has changed. Because he continues to develop,” says Constanța, Samuel’s mother.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaUNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaThe small things that began to matterThe journey that brought them into that room, however, began much earlier.Samuel was a long-awaited child. For seven years, his parents had hoped to have a baby. When he was born, they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Samuel grew, played, and his development seemed typical.The first questions began to arise when he was around one and a half years old. He was a very quiet child. He seemed somewhat withdrawn, and the world around him did not always spark the same curiosity his mother noticed in other children. When other children saw something interesting, they would point to draw their parents’ attention to it. Samuel did not. Later, his mother also noticed that he used very few words.At first, his parents found simple explanations. Maybe he was simply quieter. Maybe he took after his father, who was more introverted. Maybe they just needed to give him more time. But by the time Samuel was two and a half, his mother felt she no longer wanted to wait.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSaulea“I would look at other children his age. Physically, it seemed that he could do many of the same things, but there was still a difference. I could see it. I could feel it. When I spoke openly with his nursery teachers, they also said that perhaps we should look into it. And that is when we started searching for answers,” Samuel’s mother recalls.The first conversations took place at the family doctor’s office, where the parents were encouraged to consult specialists, including a neurologist.“Our family doctor told me that, as his mother, because I observe him every day in his normal home environment, I know him better. A doctor cannot see all these things during a 10- or 15-minute consultation,” Constanța remembers.A consultation with a neurologist followed, and then early childhood intervention services. For Constanța, it was an entirely unfamiliar world.“I didn’t even know services like this existed. I had heard about autism and Down syndrome, but I didn’t know what it meant for a child to have a developmental delay. My first reaction was panic. I didn’t know what would happen next or what I was supposed to do. But then it was explained to me that we needed to work with our child. And that is how our journey began.”UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaUNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaSupport closer to homeFor a family, early childhood intervention should not begin with a long journey to Chișinău. In an increasing number of districts, support can now be found closer to home.Today, 16 early childhood intervention centres operate across the country. These services support young children with developmental disorders, disabilities or those at risk of developing them, as well as their families. Their teams can assess and monitor a child’s development, provide therapy and counselling and, importantly, help parents understand how they can continue supporting their child at home.In recent years, UNICEF, together with international partners, the Ministry of Health, local authorities and partner organizations, has contributed to expanding this network. With UNICEF and partner support, over the past three years early childhood intervention centres have been opened, equipped or strengthened in Cantemir, Cimișlia, Strășeni, Fălești, Chișinău, Edineț and Anenii Noi. In Cimișlia and Fălești, child development rooms have also been established in rural communities, bringing initial assessments and support closer to families, as not every family is able to travel to the capital for consultations and procedures.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaIn many districts, children can now be assessed and supported close to home by a team working together with their family. When a situation is more complex or additional assessments are required, the child can be referred to a specialized service such as the Early Childhood Intervention Centre at the Institute of Mother and Child (IMC). The Centre also provides physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychological counselling, as well as support in developing an individual intervention plan.“Early childhood intervention works best when support is available as close as possible to the child and family. Expanding services in the districts means that parents can receive guidance sooner and children can benefit from intervention during a crucial period of their development. At the same time, it is important to have a referral-level service capable of managing more complex cases. By strengthening the Centre at the Institute of Mother and Child and equipping it with standardized assessment tools, we are working to connect these two levels of support,” says Angela Capcelea, Health Specialist at UNICEF Moldova.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaUNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaParents learn alongside their children and specialistsOver the next almost two years, Samuel’s home gradually filled with games, learning materials, and activities. Some days are devoted to colours, numbers, or matching exercises. On others, Samuel takes part in movement and sensory stimulation activities. If he is tired or not in the mood on a particular day, his parents change the plan and choose something simpler.The family’s week has developed its own rhythm, built around the things Samuel learns little by little. But one of the most important lessons, his mother says, was understanding that early childhood intervention is not only about what a specialist does with a child.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSaulea“First of all, we as parents have to start with ourselves. We have to change the way we behave with our child and understand how he perceives the world. I would watch the therapist working with Samuel and try to do the same at home. Sometimes I would film what I was doing and then show it to the specialist. If I was doing something wrong, she would correct me. I also had to learn how to connect better with my child and how to understand him when he cannot tell me what he wants.”Progress came in very practical ways. Samuel learned to sit at the table for longer, pour water into his cup, take things to the bin, and put away his toys. He became more independent in everyday activities.“Maybe these seem like small things to someone else. For us, they are huge. I understood that the centre is there to support us, but it cannot do the work for us. What you learn there has to continue at home. A child learns over time. You see the results over time. Miracles do not happen in one or two months,” says Constanța.After nearly two years, Samuel could do things he had not been able to do before.But as he progressed, the family’s questions also changed: What does he need next, and how can they support him in the best possible way? It was no longer only about what he could or could not do, but about how he was developing, what support he would need going forward, and which approaches would be most appropriate for him.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSaulea“What do we do next?”That is how the family arrived at the Early Childhood Intervention Centre at the Institute of Mother and Child, which also assesses children whose cases require a more in-depth evaluation. Recently, with UNICEF support, the Centre was equipped with ADOS-2 and SON-R – two standardized tools that help specialists better understand different aspects of a child’s development and provide recommendations tailored as closely as possible to their individual needs.In Samuel’s case, the team determined that ADOS-2 could provide additional insights into how he communicates, interacts, and relates to the world around him.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaUNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaCommunication is about more than wordsADOS-2 is a standardized assessment tool used when autism spectrum disorder is suspected. It is not an exam that a child passes or fails. Through play, activities, and interaction, the specialist observes how the child communicates, initiates and maintains interaction, plays, and uses their imagination.For Samuel, Module 1 of the assessment was used, selected according to his level of language development. Language had long been one of the main areas of concern in his case.“For a long time, language was at the forefront. But as a child grows, social expectations increase as well. That is when difficulties with interaction can become more visible. Communication is not only about speech. We communicate extensively through eye contact, gestures, and the way we sustain an interaction. Samuel is a boy who does very well with structured activities. He has quite a broad vocabulary and knows the names of many things, but he does not always use what he knows to communicate,” explains Mariana Calac.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaAn assessment, however, does not end with a score.“I have administered this assessment many times, and every time the combination of findings is different. Two children may have the same score and yet present in completely different ways. The assessment shows us not only areas of difficulty, which are often already evident, but also the child’s strengths,” says the specialist.In Samuel’s case, one of these strengths became apparent during the assessment itself.“We saw that he has a very good imagination and well-developed imaginative play. That is something we can use when developing his intervention programme. An assessment helps you look at the child from a different perspective.”UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSauleaWhen language does not tell the whole storyFor other children referred to the Institute of Mother and Child, the question may be different. A child may speak very little or not at all, making it difficult for a specialist to understand their cognitive abilities through language alone. For such situations, the Centre now also has SON-R, a non-verbal test used to assess intelligence and cognitive abilities. The child does not need to respond through speech or writing. Through visual and practical tasks, specialists can observe how the child reasons and solves problems without language becoming a barrier. “Sometimes it is very difficult to assess a child’s level of cognitive development when the child is non-verbal. Some children may have difficulties with speech but not experience the same difficulties cognitively. A non-verbal test helps us greatly in understanding how a child reasons and what they are capable of,” explains Mariana Calac.For a referral centre such as the one at the Institute of Mother and Child, having ADOS-2 and SON-R available means specialists can carry out more nuanced assessments of children with very different developmental profiles and provide families with recommendations that are more closely tailored to each child’s needs.UNICEF/2026/Moldova/DanSaulea“Equipping the Early Childhood Intervention Centre at the Institute of Mother and Child with ADOS-2 and SON-R complements UNICEF’s investments in strengthening the health system for children and expanding early childhood intervention services at the local level. A child should be able to receive support as close to home as possible, while families who need a more complex assessment should have access to a national referral service within the country. In this way, we are building not simply individual centres, but a network of services that can support children and families according to their needs,” says Igor Codreanu, Health Officer at UNICEF Moldova.At Samuel’s paceFor Samuel’s mother, the value of the assessment is ultimately much simpler than the names of the tests or the scores they produce. It means knowing what comes next.The family’s next goal is school. Samuel’s mother wants him to start school as prepared and as independent as possible.“If I need to take certain courses, I will. If there is something I need to learn, I will learn it. I want to give him the best possible start. I don’t want our life to stop because he has certain difficulties. He is our child, he is who he is, and we have to see what we can do to make his life and our life better.”Two years ago, Samuel’s mother says, she focused a great deal on the things he was not yet doing at the same pace as other children. Today, she tries to look at things differently.“Maybe he will progress at his own pace and perhaps not according to my expectations. But when I look back, I want to know that I did everything I could and that he received the very best of what I was able to give him,” she adds. Then she sums up, in just a few words, perhaps the most important lesson the family has learned along the way: “I think he will be happy at his own pace. And we have to learn to be happy at ours.”

After years of living with the effects of war and serious health conditions, Yevhen arrived in the Republic of Moldova with his family, no permanent place to stay and no insulin. Timely access to protection, healthcare and financial assistance helped them take their first steps towards stability.For Yevhen, who lives with diabetes, has survived multiple strokes and requires regular medical care, leaving Ukraine was more than a search for safety. It was also a race to secure the treatment he urgently needed.The family arrived carrying few belongings and no certainty about where they would live. They also carried the strain of years marked by repeated air raids, the daily stress of war and a decision Yevhen had long wanted to make but could not."I would have left at the beginning of the war," he recalls. "But I couldn't. Only after I received disability status was I able to travel, and then we left immediately."Once Yevhen obtained the documentation that enabled him to travel, the family left without delay. The journey meant leaving behind their home and familiar surroundings without knowing what awaited them across the border.Before departing Ukraine, the family searched online for information about life in Moldova and the assistance available to refugees. That search connected them with Anna Kondratenko, a health mediator working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The connection would prove critical.When the family reached Bălți, they had no permanent accommodation, and Yevhen’s medical needs could not wait. With support coordinated by IOM and local partners, they found temporary shelter at a local church while looking for longer-term housing."At that moment, they were in a very vulnerable situation," Anna recalls. "They contacted us while still in Ukraine. We later learned about Yevhen's health condition and that they were travelling without insulin. It was a situation that required immediate action."The family needed more than emergency assistance. To access healthcare and begin rebuilding their lives, they also had to navigate unfamiliar administrative procedures in a new country.Working across its health and protection programmes, IOM helped facilitate an accelerated process for the family to obtain temporary protection. IOM also supported their registration with healthcare providers and connected them with essential medical services.For Yevhen, obtaining temporary protection marked a turning point. It opened the way to the continuity of care his health required and allowed the family to begin looking beyond their immediate needs."As soon as we received temporary protection, we could register with a family doctor and begin arranging specialist consultations," he says. "Without that support, it would have been much more difficult."The family also received one-time financial assistance funded by the European Union, helping them cover urgent expenses as they searched for housing and adjusted to life in unfamiliar surroundings.Today, life remains far from what it once was, but a sense of stability is gradually returning.The family now lives in a rented apartment. Yevhen is receiving medical follow-up care, and specialists are adjusting his treatment plan. His son continues his studies online through a Ukrainian school, maintaining an important connection with home while adapting to life in Moldova.A safe place to live, access to a doctor and the ability for a child to continue learning may appear to be ordinary parts of everyday life. For a family forced to leave behind everything familiar, they represent the beginnings of recovery and the return of routine.For Anna, the change is visible."You can see that they have become calmer," she says. "They found housing, they are planning for the future, and there is hope in their eyes."The family’s path forward is still taking shape. Yevhen continues to manage serious health conditions, while his wife has begun looking for work. He, too, is exploring opportunities that match his professional experience and health condition.Their future remains uncertain, but it is no longer defined solely by the urgency of arrival. The family can now begin to make plans, consider new possibilities and regain a measure of control over what comes next.For Yevhen, rebuilding began with one of the hardest choices a person can make: leaving home without knowing when, or whether, returning would be possible.Reflecting on that decision, he speaks not only about what his family left behind, but about the courage required to take the first step towards a different future."The most important thing is to find the strength to make a decision," he says. "Leaving home is never easy, but sometimes you have to take that step."With support from the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations through the project “Addressing the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable refugees from Ukraine and third-country nationals,” IOM Moldova helps refugees access protection, healthcare and essential assistance.

Tatiana Sandețkaia, a psychologist by profession, has been providing individual consultations for many years, but she wanted to transform her private practice into something more comprehensive – a clinic equipped with the necessary tools and equipment to “train” the mind.“I had the knowledge, I had a tremendous desire to help, but I lacked the technological tools. Without equipment, you’re like a surgeon trying to save lives with bare hands,” Tatiana explains. Unfortunately, limited resources also meant that only a limited number of people could receive help.The turning point came when Tatiana decided to turn her compassion into a strategy and entered the business competition organized by the European Union’s Confidence-Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP. The selection of her project brought her not only confirmation of the value of her work but alsoUS $10,000 in support, allowing her to evolve from the status of an individual practitioner to that of the founder of a small assistance center.“This support marked the transition from what I could do to what needed to be done. I went from a solo practice, where I did everything, I could with the little I had, to a comprehensive support center,” Tatiana explains.The mentoring programme that accompanied the funding helped Tatiana understand that a social impact business is, at its core, an ecosystem of trust.Before taking the step toward social entrepreneurship, Tatiana operated with limited resources. With support from the EU and UNDP, the clinic was equipped with everything needed for diagnosis and therapy sessions and Tatiana underwent specialized training. As a result, a wide audience learned about the center’s work. Today, “Neurofitness” works with families, children, adults, and seniors who need support and qualified psychological guidance.In her practice, Tatiana uses the neurobio-control method, helping children with learning and behavioral difficulties, people with health issues, as well as adults and seniors  to cope with anxiety, attention disorders, and adjustment difficulties, and to develop their communication and social skills.“I conduct assessments, hold individual and group sessions, and provide support to clients of all ages,” Tatiana explains.Today, demand for the practice’s services is steadily growing. More and more people are benefiting from qualified assistance, and Tatiana’s practice continues to expand, bringing positive change to people’s lives and the community.
“Neurofitness” is no longer just a name on a door, but a promise kept for families who come here from both banks of the Nistru. It is proof that when a specialist is given the right tools, the good multiplies.Since 2024, 20 entrepreneurs from both banks of the Nistru River have received assistance from the European Union and UNDP to grow or launch their businesses. Supporting entrepreneurs and the business environment is part of a broader effort by the European Union and UNDP to build trust and promote economic development on both banks of the Nistru.    

With support from the Government of the United States of America, specialists at the Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi work alongside parents to ensure that every child can receive support tailored to their needs as early as possible.Sometimes, progress begins with a single word. At the Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi, a word like this can mark an important change for a child and their family.„We have a little boy who, at the age of two years and eight months, was not speaking at all. After several sessions, he began to say ‘give me’ and ask for the things he needed instead of simply pointing at them”, says Doina Grecu, Head of the Centre and a social worker.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaUNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaFor the specialists working here, progress looks different for every child. It may be a new word, a step taken with support, a few extra seconds of eye contact, or the ability to hold a spoon independently. Behind each of these achievements is a process that begins with assessing the child’s needs, continues with the development of an individual intervention plan, and relies on constant collaboration between specialists and the family.In the Republic of Moldova, the need for early intervention services remains significant. Approximately 12,000 children with disabilities are registered in the health system. Yet, according to data presented in the UNICEF Country Programme 2023-2027, only 27 per cent of children with disabilities receive their first diagnosis before the age of two, while only 10 per cent benefit from early intervention services. Identifying developmental difficulties or delays as early as possible is important so that every child can receive the support they need at the right time.Support begins with assessing the child’s needsWhen a child comes to the Centre, the first step is to gain as complete an understanding as possible of their needs.„Every child is assessed by the entire team, and then we discuss with the parent the child’s needs and the services the family can benefit from”, explains Doina Grecu.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaUNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaFollowing a comprehensive assessment, an individual intervention plan is developed for each child, tailored to their needs and level of development. It guides the specialists’ work and identifies the areas of support on which the team and the family will work together.Depending on their needs, children may receive psychological and speech therapy support, physiotherapy and massage, occupational and sensory therapy, as well as parenting programmes, social support activities and psychological counselling for the family.For Ala Nacu, a pediatric neurologist, collaboration among specialists is essential precisely because a child’s development cannot be viewed from a single perspective: „It is very important that we work together - the doctor, the psychologist and the social worker, because every child needs support tailored to their situation and to their family circumstances”.Sometimes, difficulties can become visible through the way a child communicates, interacts or moves. A child may not respond when their name is called, may make little eye contact, may begin speaking later, or may experience difficulties in developing certain motor skills. For specialists, what matters is that such signs are noticed and assessed as early as possible.„The earlier we identify delays or difficulties in a child’s development, the sooner we can intervene and provide the support they need”, says Ala Nacu.Every child develops at their own paceIn early intervention, progress does not necessarily mean a major change that can be seen from one day to the next. For one child, it may mean developing a motor skill, while for another it may mean finding a new way to communicate or interact.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan Saulea„Progress may mean that a child begins to hold a cup or spoon independently, or starts to maintain eye contact. For us, every change like this is important”, explains Ala Nacu.There are also children who communicate very little with those around them when they first arrive at the Centre.„With consistent support, treatment and family involvement, they begin to greet others, interact and take part in activities”, says the doctor.In physiotherapy, the goals are just as individual. Nicoleta Nicolaev, a physiotherapist and massage therapist, works together with families to identify the skills that each child can gradually develop.„At first, a child may only be able to sit or stay on all fours, but after the sessions, they may progress to standing with support, walking while holding someone’s hand or even taking their first steps independently”.And sometimes, the moment a family has been waiting for does not happen during a therapy session, but at home.„Very often, the first signs of progress are noticed at home, when a mother sees that her child has taken a step independently or made a movement they could not make before”, adds Nicoleta.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaUNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaParents are part of the interventionFor the Centre’s specialists, family involvement is essential so that what a child practises during sessions can be reinforced in everyday life.Nicoleta Nicolaev describes the parent’s role through a simple image: „In a way, the parent is the specialist’s eyes and hands at home”.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaThis is why specialists encourage parents to observe their child’s development and continue the recommended exercises and activities at home. The activities are adapted not only to the child’s needs, but also to what the family has available at home, since not every exercise requires special materials or equipment.„We talk to every parent about what they have at home and what they can use. Even pebbles, sand or other simple materials can become part of a child’s exercises”, says the physiotherapist.The message is echoed by other members of the team.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan Saulea„The results cannot come from us alone. First and foremost, everything starts at home, and we help parents continue the work and move forward”, says Doina Grecu.For Ala Nacu, collaboration with the family is indispensable.„We cannot do anything without parents. We cannot do anything without the family. When the parent works together with the child, the results become visible”.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaA session at the Centre is therefore only one part of the intervention. Continuing the activities at home gives the child the opportunity to practise the same skills in the environment where they spend most of their time and gradually integrate them into their daily routine.For families in the district, having an Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi also means easier access to the support their child needs.„Before, many families had to travel to Chișinău. Now that the services are closer to home, parents save time and money on transport and can more easily maintain their child’s daily routine”, says Doina Grecu.The Centre’s services are available both to children from local communities and to refugee children who need early intervention. For families who have sought refuge in the Republic of Moldova, access to specialists at the local level can mean fewer barriers to obtaining the support their child needs for their development.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaUNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaDaniela Vaipan, Health Programme Officer at UNICEF, notes that establishing the service at district level means both timely intervention and more equitable access to specialised support.„The establishment of the Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi represents an important step for children and families in the district, giving them access, closer to home, to specialised services and the support they need from the earliest years of life. Early intervention is one of the most effective investments in a child’s development, playing an essential role in the early identification of difficulties and in providing the necessary support at the right time. This Early Intervention Centre responds to the real needs of families in the district and contributes to improving access to quality services and creating equal opportunities for every child’s development”.Establishing the service, however, is only one step. The continuous development of professionals’ skills is important to ensure that families benefit from quality services and a consistent approach tailored to the needs of every child.Marcel Straton, Director of Lumos Moldova, emphasises that this investment in specialists will continue: „Early intervention means, first and foremost, providing children with the support they need at the right time and standing alongside families throughout this process. The establishment of the Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi is another step towards expanding and strengthening the network of such services available to children and families at the local level. Our mission, however, does not end here. Lumos will continue to support the professional capacity development of specialists at the Anenii Noi Early Intervention Centre, as well as at the other early intervention services we have established through our partnership with UNICEF, to ensure a consistent and standardised approach to cases involving children with developmental disorders and / or disabilities and to contribute to the continuous improvement of the quality of services provided by Early Intervention Centres”.For the specialists who work with children every day, the results of this work become visible in very concrete moments: a new word, a more confident step, a movement performed independently or a greater willingness to interact. Each of these achievements is built gradually through the work of specialists, the involvement of the family and the support provided to the child day after day.„When parents tell us that they are noticing changes in their child, we are happy too. That is when we feel that our work is truly making a difference”, says Doina Grecu.UNICEF/Moldova/2026/Dan SauleaThe Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi was established as part of the UNICEF project „Establishment and Development of Early Intervention Services for Children with Developmental Disorders and/or Disabilities”, implemented by Lumos Moldova in partnership with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, with support from the Government of the United States of America.