Child Rights Information Centre – CRIC

Who are we?

The Child Rights Information Center (CRIC) is a non-governmental, independent and apolitical organization, set up in 1998. CRIC administers education and social programs, developing projects and services related with investigations and studies, access to information for all interested parties, trainings, publications, participatory arts, etc.

Vision

CRIC’s view is a world in which all children are treated with dignity and respect, express and implement freely their own ideas, participate in making the decisions that affect them in the family, school, community, benefit from the services that respond to their needs and interests. Public authorities are the main actors in promoting the major interest of the child.

Mission

CRIC’s mission is to contribute to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in the Republic of Moldova by spreading the information and by supporting children’s participation initiatives.

Purposes

• Changing people’s mentality regarding the perception of the child as a separate individual, with its own rights, views and opinions.

• Raising the awareness of central and local public authorities with regards to the implementation of social policies for children.

Objectives

• To support the children’s participation initiatives, able to offer them empowerment, self-achievement and opportunities to express their opinions.

• To develop information and training programs for parents, teachers and public officers on the observance of child rights.

• To develop the abilities of public authorities and other social actors in developing social policies for children corresponding to the children’s rights and interests.

• To promote the involvement of children as equal partners in community/social processes.

• To facilitate the social integration of children and teenagers at risk.

Our beneficiaries

Children aged between 10 and 18, especially:

• children from communities with reduced opportunities for involvement and development;

• children in conflict with the law;

• children in residential institutions;

• children left behind by migrating parents.

CRIC is a unique organization because it:

• promotes the rights of the children by involving them in program development, implementation and evaluation;

• studies each child’s needs and plans the activities based thereon;

• turns to good account the youth’s abilities and capacities for their personal use and that of the community;

• uses adequate work methods with children and youth.

CRIC’s most important achievements:

• Popularization of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC);

• Promotion of models of children’s and youth participation at local and national level – Children’s Parliament, Local Children’s and Youth Councils, Youth Act;

• Organization of voluntary activities in Child Rights promotion;

• Development of efficient partnerships between adults and children;

• Publication of didactic and informative materials about the Rights of the Child;

• Promotion of the National Campaign “Say YES for Children!”