The maternal assistant is the natural person, certified under the conditions of Law no. 323/2024 for the approval of Ordinance no. 27/2024 regarding the conditions for obtaining the certificate, the certification procedure and the status of the maternal assistant, an employee of the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Covasna, who, through the activity carried out at his/her home/residence, ensures the upbringing, care and education of the child during the application of the special protection measure of placement/emergency placement for the child temporarily or permanently separated from his/her parents or, as the case may be, during the respite period of another maternal assistant.

a. Necessary conditions to become a maternal assistant

The person who wishes to become a maternal assistant must cumulatively meet the following conditions:

1. to have residence in Covasna county;

2. to be a graduate of vocational or high school education;

3. to have reached the age of 21;

4. through his/her behavior in society and psychological profile provides moral guarantees regarding the upbringing, care and education of children

5. the person and spouse present emotional availability in relationships with children, confirmed following psychological evaluation;

6. the spouse and children who have reached the age of 14 and who have the same residence, or, as the case may be, the same domicile as the applicant, express their consent regarding the reception in the family of a child/children;

7. has residence or, as the case may be, domicile in a locality with access to educational, medical services for the child/children to be placed and, as the case may be, habilitation/rehabilitation services for children with disabilities;

8. has the right of use over a dwelling that adequately covers the needs of food preparation, hygiene, education and rest of the users, including those of the children to be received in placement and for whom an individualized space for rest and homework can be provided;

9. at least one of the adult family members earns income, except for the maternal assistant, if he/she lives with one or more members

10. has not exceeded the standard retirement age provided by Law no. 360/2023 regarding the public pension system;

11. has not suffered a conviction by final court decision, for intentionally committing an offense against the person, against authority, against the administration of justice, for corruption and service offenses, as well as for drug trafficking offenses, regarding the regime of doping substances, for conducting illegal operations with precursors or other products likely to have psychoactive effects or is not registered with mentions in the automatic national register regarding persons who have committed sexual offenses, exploitation of persons or minors;

12. does not have in the family members who have reached the age of 14 or other persons living together, who have been convicted by final court decision for an offense from the category provided in letter b), or are registered with mentions in the automatic national register regarding persons who have committed sexual offenses, exploitation of persons or minors;

13. has not been deprived of parental rights by final court decision or has not been forbidden the exercise of parental rights as a complementary punishment;

14. does not suffer from communicable diseases that could endanger the child's health;

15. does not have in the family members or other adults living with him/her, who suffer from communicable diseases that could endanger the child's health;

16. does not have a history of violence for which a provisional protection order or, as the case may be, a protection order has been issued, according to the provisions of Law no. 217/2003 for preventing and combating domestic violence, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions, or according to the provisions of Law no. 26/2024 regarding the protection order, or does not have in the family members or other adult persons living with him for whom the mentioned orders have been issued;

17. has not had and does not have one or more natural children in the special protection system;

18. has not consented to the adoption of his/her own child, except when the child was adopted by the spouse;

19. does not suffer from mental illnesses, is not dependent on alcohol, drugs or other psychotropic substances;

20. does not have in the family members or other adults living with him, who suffer from mental illnesses, are dependent on alcohol, drugs or other psychotropic substances;

21. has not had the professional maternal assistant certificate withdrawn, except in cases where the certificate was withdrawn at request.

The evaluation request is resolved within 90 calendar days from the date of registration with the directorate.

After the social and psychological evaluation, in preparation for carrying out the activity as maternal assistant, the applicant participates in vocational training courses, according to a curriculum developed by the National Authority for the Protection of Child Rights and Adoption, which will last 80 hours, of which 50 hours of theory and 30 hours of practice. The vocational training of maternal assistants is carried out by the directorates, as authorized training providers under G.O. no. 129/2000 regarding the vocational training of adults, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions.

Certification

The applicant who has received the final evaluation report of the applicant's capacity to become a maternal assistant with a proposal for issuing the certificate submits, at the directorate headquarters at domicile or, as the case may be, at the residence, an application addressed to CPC Covasna requesting the issuance of the maternal assistant certificate, which is resolved within 30 days from the date of registration with the directorate.

Throughout the evaluation period, the person seeking to obtain the maternal assistant certificate has the obligation to inform the members of the evaluation team about any changes regarding the fulfillment of one or more of the necessary conditions to become a maternal assistant, provided in this procedure, attaching, as the case may be, supporting documents.

CPC Covasna, after analyzing the final report evaluating the applicant's capacity to become a maternal assistant and hearing the applicant, presented by one of the members of the evaluation team, will make a reasoned decision regarding the approval or, as the case may be, rejection of the application for the issuance of the maternal assistant certificate. The certificate is annexed to the CPC decision.

The CPC may, in justified cases, also hear other persons, from whom it can request additional information deemed necessary for the approval or, as the case may be, rejection of the application for the issuance of the maternal assistant certificate.

The maternal assistant certificate is issued for an indefinite period and is reviewed every two years.