Social Workers’ Day in Moldova Date in the current year: September 15, 2024

The development of the modern social welfare system of Moldova began after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the declaration of the country’s independence on August 27, 1991. The right to social assistance and protection is enshrined in Article 47 of the Constitution of Moldova: the state is bound to take actions in order to ensure that every person has a decent standard of living, health protection and welfare.

The first social welfare law adopted in Moldova was the Law on Social Protection of Disabled Persons that came into effect on December 27, 1991. Another important social welfare law in Moldova is the Law on State Social Benefits for Certain Categories of Citizens. It was adopted on July 14, 1999 as part of the social welfare system reform and granted the right to state social benefits to persons who are not entitled to state social insurance pensions.

The mission of the social welfare system of Moldova is to provide assistance and support to unprotected and vulnerable groups of the population: retirees, elderly people with no immediate family, disabled persons, refugees, children from dysfunctional families, orphans, adopted and foster children, people experience difficulties with employment, etc.

The existing system of social protection and support in Moldova has two main mechanisms: social services and social insurance. Social services are a set of measures and actions taken to meet the social needs of an individual or a family in order to help them to overcome difficult situations, prevent marginalization and social exclusion. The term “social benefits” includes compensations, allowances, payments, and other forms of social and material assistance.

The governing body of the state social insurance system of Moldova is the National Social Insurance House (Casa Naţională de Asigurări Sociale, CNAS). It is a central administrative authority subordinate directly to the Moldovan government (to be more precise, to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Moldova). CNAS was established in 2001 in accordance with the Law on the State Social Insurance System.

CNAS is primarily responsible for the payment of social benefits to persons who have temporarily or permanently lost their main source of income due to certain circumstances beyond their control: old age, disease, disability, loss of breadwinner, unemployment, birth of a child, temporary inability to work, etc.

Social Workers’ Day is the professional holiday of all CNAS employees and other people who work in the country’s social welfare system. These people do everything they can to improve the lives of those they are tasked with helping, as well as to ensure their social and legal protection. A social worker is a demanding job that requires effort, skill, professionalism, empathy, and optimism.