Children become part of decision-making: new steps to strengthen Child Advisory Councils

Chisinau, 23 March 2026. With the support of UNICEF, 35 coordinators of Child Advisory Councils (CACs) from Territorial Social Assistance Structures participated in a training session on 17–18 March to strengthen their skills in working with children who are members of CACs.

The activity is part of an ongoing professional development process for CAC coordinators, launched in 2025, and contributes to strengthening mechanisms that enable children to participate in decisions that affect them. The workshop was organized within the UNICEF project “Better care for children”, implemented by “Partnerships for Every Child”, with financial support from the Government of Sweden, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova.

During the training, participants explored practical methods to facilitate children’s participation and practiced activities they can later implement with CAC members. These tools support the development of children’s ability to express their views, analyse issues that affect them, and actively engage in monitoring and improving social services.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Viorica Dumbrăveanu, UNICEF Child Protection Officer, highlighted UNICEF’s commitment to meaningful child participation.

“We support the development of these essential platforms that enable children to engage in decision-making processes that affect them, including within the child protection system. It is important to ensure that child participation is inclusive, informed, and embedded at all levels. We will continue to support the institutionalization of the Council at national level, ensuring that children’s voices are not only heard locally, but also reflected in decision-making processes.”

Natalia Semeniuc, Child Participation Consultant at “Partnerships for Every Child” (PPFC), emphasized the role of training in strengthening professionals’ capacities.

“We continue to build the capacities of Child Advisory Council coordinators, a process that started last year, by equipping them with practical tools and methods for working with children. During the training, specialists practiced participatory activities that they will later apply in their work with CAC members, so that children are encouraged and supported to express their opinions and actively engage in processes that affect them.”

Through these trainings, specialists are supported to create an environment where child participation becomes a consistent practice in the development and monitoring of social services.

Child Advisory Councils are platforms that enable children receiving social services to express their ideas and opinions, contributing to the adaptation and improvement of existing services, as well as to the development of new services that better respond to their needs.