VIDEO // Moldovan labour minister presents transformations in social protection system

Labour and Social Protection Minister Natalia Plugaru, at the National Forum of Social Protection Professionals, has presented an overview of the transformations carried out in the system following the Restart reform. She highlighted the expansion of services, the increase in the number of beneficiaries and the diversification of community interventions.

According to the minister, the social protection system is, first and foremost, about the people who work directly with beneficiaries – social assistants and social workers, child protection specialists, personal assistants, professionals working with victims of violence, labour inspectors, employment specialists, employees involved in determining pensions, allowances and disability status, as well as specialists in prosthetics and orthopedic footwear.

“The social protection system is you. Every day, people come to you when their lives need help. And yet your work remains unseen,” Natalia Plugaru said.

The minister noted that, following the Restart reform, the system moved from more limited interventions to broader monitoring that is closer to communities. While approximately 3,000 people were assisted annually in 2024, 78,000 people are currently being monitored, according to the data presented by the official.

A significant increase was also recorded in the number of monitoring visits. According to Natalia Plugaru, their number rose from approximately 1,200 per week to 17,000 at present.

“Because this is the system we want to build. If a person cannot reach the service, the service must reach the person,” the minister said.

Another area in which the minister highlighted changes is child protection. According to the data unveiled, the number of children under case management increased from 2,700 before the Restart reform to 23,000 at present.

At the same time, the number of children living in residential institutions decreased from approximately 11,000 to 360. Natalia Plugaru emphasized the role of professional foster carers and foster parents in ensuring a family environment for children who cannot remain in the care of their biological parents.

“Together with all of you, we have managed to ensure that fewer and fewer children grow up in institutions and more and more grow up in a family,” the minister said.

According to her, community services have also been expanded. Mobile teams are currently active in all districts of the country and the number of beneficiaries served by them has tripled.

The minister also mentioned the development of the social home-care service, through which specialists reach approximately 15,000 beneficiaries annually. According to Natalia Plugaru, the number of people benefiting from this service has tripled.

“Sometimes, the most important thing they bring into that home cannot fit in a bag. It is the presence of another person. It is someone who asks them: How are you feeling today?” the minister said, referring to the social workers who provide home-care services.

The expansion of services is also reflected in support for victims of violence. While before the Restart reform up to 100 women were supported through social assistance services, their number has now reached 6,900, according to the data presented by the minister.

The social insurance system also serves more than 1.2 million people, Natalia Plugaru said. She noted that, behind the provision of social benefits, there are verification and calculation activities, as well as the responsibility of specialists toward beneficiaries.

Another objective of social protection, in the opinion of Labour and Social Protection Ministry, is to support people in becoming independent by finding employment.

Natalia Plugaru noted that, last year alone, employment services had helped more than 20,000 people find jobs. In the coming years, the ministry aims to support more than 100,000 people in finding employment.

“I believe that a job is one of the most sustainable forms of social protection,” the minister stated.

In the same context, the official referred to the combating of undeclared work. While inspectors identified approximately 80 people working without contracts in 2021, more than 8,000 people were identified last year, according to data presented. This year’s target is to bring 10,000 people into legal employment. 

“For each of these people, a contract means more than a piece of paper. It means a declared salary. It means protection, if an accident occurs. It means contributions toward a pension. It means security. And ultimately, it means dignity at work,” Natalia Plugaru said.

The minister emphasized that the expansion of services must be accompanied by investments in the people working in the system. The priorities mentioned include transportation and vehicles needed for community interventions, equipment, digitalization, professional training and the development of new specializations.

“We cannot ask people to take care of other people without taking care of them in turn,” Natalia Plugaru said.

According to her, qualification levels are also being introduced this year, in order to allow professionals in the field to advance in their careers.

“Because you are not just the people who work in the social protection system. You are the people who give this system a face, a voice and a heart,” the minister declared.





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Natalia Plugaru thanked all professionals in the field, including those who were not present at the Forum and those who were not nominated for awards, emphasizing that the social protection system is supported every day in institutions, communities and beneficiaries’ homes.