Small steps, big changes for children in Anenii Noi
With support from the United States of America, UNICEF and its partners are bringing early intervention services closer to children and families
Every time he arrives at the Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi, Mihail already knows what comes next. He walks in without hesitation, ready for the activities he does with the specialists. For Daniela, his sister, the fact that he enjoys coming to every session is important.
„He really likes it here. The atmosphere is very pleasant, there are lots of toys, and he comes with open arms. When we enter the Centre, he immediately goes with the specialist to the therapy room, and at the end he does not want to go home”, Daniela says.
The family knows that progress happens gradually and that every step matters. „We do not expect him to suddenly start speaking. What matters to us is that people are working with him, that he understands things better and that, little by little, he makes progress.”
At home, the family continues the activities recommended by the specialists. And after every visit to the Centre, Mihail’s mother is eager to hear how things went. „My mother is very happy when she hears that there are changes. She calls me every time and asks how the session went and whether I noticed anything new”, Daniela says.
Support for every child, based on their needs
The Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi opened in May 2026, providing children with developmental disorders and / or disabilities and their families with access to specialised services closer to the communities where they live.
The Centre has been equipped with materials and equipment adapted to activities with children, including a sensory room and materials designed to stimulate development. Children and families can access psychological and speech therapy support, physical therapy and massage, occupational and sensory therapy, as well as parenting programmes, social support activities and psychological counselling for families. Before the service opened, the transdisciplinary team received training in early intervention and took part in an exchange of experience with specialists from the Early Intervention Centre in Florești.
For Cristina Miron, mother of Amelia and Fabian, the support provided by the Centre means activities tailored to the different needs of her two children. She has noticed changes in Fabian’s walking, while Amelia has improved her ability to sustain attention.
„I see more changes in my son: he has started taking steps more easily. Amelia is more focused and, when she starts an activity, she is able to remain attentive”, Cristina says.
With Fabian, specialists have used massage and activities that help him stand up correctly and gradually learn to walk. For Amelia, the activities also focus on developing attention and concentration. For the family, however, having access to this support close to home is equally important.
„The staff are very kind, and the Centre is close to our home. For us, it is important that we do not have to spend a lot of time getting here”, Cristina adds.
Services closer to families across the district
Access to services close to home is particularly important for families living in villages across the district. Irina came to the Centre with her daughter, Anastasia, so that she could receive support as early as possible.
„Especially for those of us who live in villages, it is very important to have a Centre like this here in the district. We no longer have to travel all the way to Chișinău with a small child, because the journey is difficult”, she says.
For Irina, early intervention means taking action before potential difficulties become harder to address. She wants her daughter to receive the support she needs from her very first steps.
„For me, it is important that her first steps are correct and that her walking is well balanced. That is why we came as early as possible to ask for support.”
Equally important, she says, is being able to trust the people working with her child.
„I trust the specialists. They are a strong team who know what they are doing and how to work with each child.”
For Diana Bradu, Director of the Anenii Noi District Hospital, the service means more than the interventions provided during therapy sessions. It means supporting the entire family at a time when they need answers and guidance.
„Behind every child who comes to the Early Intervention Centre, there is a story, a family with questions, fears and hopes. Here, intervention does not begin only with a diagnosis, but with an open heart and with the belief that every child has the right to an opportunity and to a future in which they can discover their own potential”, says Diana Bradu.
Early intervention starts as close to the child as possible
The first years of life are a critical period for a child’s development, and identifying needs early and ensuring timely access to specialised support can make an important difference for both the child and their family.
„When a child’s needs are identified as early as possible and the family receives the right support, we can better support the child’s development and participation. By expanding early intervention services at the local level, we want families to be able to access specialised support as close to home as possible, without distance becoming a barrier to accessing the services their child needs”, says Angela Capcelea, UNICEF Health Specialist.
For families who come through the doors of the Centre in Anenii Noi, change can mean different things: taking a step with greater confidence, a few extra minutes of concentration, a new skill, or simply the fact that a child looks forward to coming to the next session.
For Irina, Anastasia’s mother, all these efforts ultimately have the same goal.
„We take every opportunity that can help our child be well and happy.”
The Early Intervention Centre in Anenii Noi was established as part of the UNICEF project „Creation 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 the support of the Government of the United States of America.
The initiative is part of efforts to strengthen services for children and families in the context of the response to the refugee crisis, ensuring that specialised support is accessible both to children from local communities and to refugee children who need early intervention services.
