The maternal assistant is the individual, certified under the conditions of Government Ordinance no. 27/2024, employed by the general directorate of social assistance and child protection, who ensures at their home or, as appropriate, at their residence the upbringing, care, and education of the child during the period of applying the special protection measure of placement, emergency placement for the child who is temporarily or permanently separated from their parents, or, as appropriate, during the respite period of another maternal assistant.

A person who cumulatively meets the following conditions may be certified as a maternal assistant:
a) has reached the age of 21;
b) has graduated from vocational or high school education;
c) through their behavior in society and psychological profile offers moral guarantees regarding the upbringing, care, and education of children;
d) the person and their spouse show affective availability in relationships with children, confirmed following psychological evaluation;
e) the spouse and children who have reached the age of 14 and who have the same domicile or, as appropriate, the same residence as the applicant, express their agreement regarding the acceptance of a child/children in the family;
f) has domicile or, as appropriate, residence in a locality with access to educational, medical services for the child/children they will receive in placement and, as applicable, habilitation/rehabilitation services for the child with disabilities;
g) has the right to use a residence that adequately covers the needs for food preparation, hygiene, education, and rest of its users, including those of the child/children to be received in placement and for whom an individualized space for rest and homework can be ensured;
h) at least one of the adult family members generates income, except for the applicant, if they live with one or more members.

A person who is in the following situations cannot be a maternal assistant:
a) has exceeded the standard retirement age provided for by Law no. 360/2023 regarding the public pension system;
b) has suffered a final conviction for intentional commission of an offense against persons, against authority, against the administration of justice, for corruption and service-related offenses, as well as for drug trafficking offenses, regarding the regime of doping substances, carrying out illegal operations with precursors or other products likely to have psychoactive effects or is registered with mentions in the Automated National Register regarding persons who have committed sexual offenses, exploitation of persons or minors;
c) has in the family members who have reached the age of 14 or other persons who live together with them, who have been convicted by a final court decision for an offense from the category provided in letter b) or are registered with mentions in the Automated National Register regarding persons who have committed sexual offenses, exploitation of persons or minors;
d) has been deprived of parental rights by a final court decision or had parental rights prohibited as an additional penalty;
e) suffers from communicable diseases that could endanger the health of the child;
f) has in the family members or other adults living with them who suffer from communicable diseases that could endanger the health of the child;
g) has a history of violence for which a provisional protection order or, as appropriate, a protection order was issued, according to the provisions of Law no. 217/2003 for the prevention and combating of domestic violence, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions, or according to the provisions of Law no. 26/2024 regarding the protection order, or has in the family members or other adults living with them for whom such orders have been issued;
h) has had or currently has one or more biological children in the special protection system;
i) has consented to the adoption of their own child, except in the situation where the child has been adopted by the spouse;
j) suffers from mental illnesses, is dependent on alcohol, drugs, or other psychotropic substances, confirmed by medical certificates issued by a specialist doctor;
k) has in the family members or other adults living with them who suffer from mental illnesses, are dependent on alcohol, drugs, or other psychotropic substances, confirmed by medical certificates issued by a specialist doctor;
l) has had the maternal assistant certificate withdrawn, except in the situation where the certificate was withdrawn upon request.

Persons domiciled in Dolj county who are interested in becoming a maternal assistant shall submit an application for the evaluation of their capacity to become a maternal assistant at the headquarters of the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Dolj in Craiova, Nicolae Titulescu Street no. 22.

The application must obligatorily mention the number of children for whom the applicant believes they can simultaneously provide optimal conditions for upbringing, care, and education, namely one or two children, age group, availability to care for groups of siblings, children with disabilities, as well as availability to take children in an emergency regime or during the respite period of another maternal assistant.
The following documents must obligatorily be attached to the evaluation application:
a) curriculum vitae of the applicant;
b) copy, certified by the directorate, of the applicant's identity card, long-term residence permit or, as applicable, permanent residence card and, as appropriate, for each person with whom the applicant lives;
c) copy, certified by the directorate, of the birth certificate of the applicant and, as appropriate, for each person with whom the applicant lives;
d) copy, certified by the directorate, of the marriage certificate or divorce decision/divorce certificate, if applicable;
e) copy, certified by the directorate, of the applicant's diploma;
f) copy, certified by the directorate, of the property title or any other document proving the right of use of the residence;
g) applicant's criminal record certificate and, as appropriate, for each person over 14 years old with whom the applicant lives;
h) behavioral integrity certificate of the applicant and, as applicable, for each adult living with the applicant, obtained under art. 16 of Law no. 118/2019 regarding the Automated National Register of persons who have committed sexual offenses, exploitation of persons or minors, as well as for the correction of Law no. 76/2008 regarding the organization and functioning of the National Judicial Genetic Data System, as subsequently amended;
i) income certificate or other documents attesting to the income of the applicant or, as appropriate, at least one of the adult family members living with the applicant;
j) medical certificate issued by the family doctor regarding the health status of the applicant, stating that the applicant does not suffer from communicable diseases, and, as appropriate, of each adult living with the applicant;
k) medical certificate issued by a specialist doctor stating that the applicant or, as appropriate, adult persons living with the applicant do not suffer from mental illnesses;
l) authentic declaration on own responsibility, from which it results that the applicant is not in one of the situations provided for in art. 4 letters d), h), i), and l) of Government Ordinance no. 27/2024;
m) recommendations from neighbors, the applicant's relatives, other community members/persons from their social circle or, as appropriate, from the representatives of the local public administration authorities, regarding the social behavior of the applicant and, as appropriate, of the family members living with the applicant.

The expenses required to obtain all documents accompanying the evaluation application are borne by the applicant.

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

The evaluation requested through the application is carried out by a team from the directorate made up of a psychologist and a social worker, the latter usually also being responsible for preparing the final report, and includes the following stages:
a) social evaluation;
b) psychological evaluation.
After the social evaluation and psychological evaluation, in preparation for performing the activity of a maternal assistant, the applicant participates in training courses. Training courses are not required for the applicant who is a university graduate in social work, psychology, or educational sciences.
After going through the evaluation stages and preparing for the activity of maternal assistant, the evaluation team members draw up the final evaluation report regarding the capacity to take care of and educate one or, as the case may be, several children.
The applicant who has received the report with a proposal for the issuance of the certificate submits to the directorate a request addressed to the child protection committee requesting the issuance of the maternal assistant certificate, which shall be resolved within 30 calendar days from the date of registration with the directorate.
The Child Protection Committee, following the analysis of the final report presented by one of the evaluation team members and the hearing of the applicant, issues a reasoned decision regarding the approval or, as the case may be, rejection of the request for issuance of the maternal assistant certificate. The maternal assistant certificate is attached to the decision of the Child Protection Committee.
The maternal assistant certificate is issued for an indefinite period and is endorsed every two years based on an evaluation carried out by a team composed of a social worker and psychologist.