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, employed by the Covasna General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection, who, through the activity carried out at their home/residence, provides the upbringing, care, and education of the child during the application of the special protection measure of placement/urgent placement for the child temporarily or permanently separated from their parents or, as the case may be, during the respite period of another maternal assistant.

a. Conditions necessary to become a maternal assistant

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

1. to have domicile in Covasna county;

2. to have graduated from vocational or high school education;

3. has reached the age of 21 years;

4. through their behavior in society and psychological profile presents moral guarantees regarding the upbringing, care, and education of children

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

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

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

8. has the right of use over a dwelling that adequately covers the needs for food preparation, hygiene, education, and rest for its 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 they live with one or more members

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

11. has not been convicted by a final court decision for the intentional commission of an offense against the person, against the authority, against the administration of justice, for corruption and service offenses, as well as for drug trafficking, regarding the regime on doping substances, for conducting illegal operations with precursors or other products likely to have psychoactive effects or is listed with mentions in the National Automated Register regarding persons who have committed sexual offenses, exploitation of persons or against 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 a final court decision for an offense of the category provided in letter b), or are listed with mentions in the National Automated Register regarding persons who have committed sexual offenses, exploitation of persons or against minors;

13. has not been deprived of parental rights by a final court decision or has not been prohibited from exercising parental rights, as a complementary penalty;

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 together 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 on 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 together for whom the mentioned orders have been issued;

17. has not had or, as the case may be, does not have one or more biological children in the special protection system;

18. has not consented to the adoption of their own child, except in cases where the child was adopted by the spouse;

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

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

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

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

After social and psychological evaluation, in preparation for exercising the activity of maternal assistant, the applicant participates in professional training courses, according to a curriculum developed by the National Authority for the Protection of Child Rights and Adoption, which will have a duration of 80 hours, of which 50 hours of theory and 30 hours of practice. The professional training of maternal assistants is carried out by the directorates, as authorized training providers according to O.G no. 129/2000 regarding adult professional training, 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 headquarters of the directorate from the domicile or, as the case may be, from the residence, a request addressed to CPC Covasna requesting the issuance of the maternal assistant certificate, which is resolved within 30 days from the date of registration at the directorate.

Throughout the evaluation, the person requesting the maternal assistant certificate has the obligation to inform the evaluation team members about any changes regarding the fulfillment of one or more of the conditions necessary to become a maternal assistant, provided in this procedure, attaching, where applicable, supporting documents.

CPC Covasna, after analyzing the Final Evaluation Report of the applicant's capacity to become a maternal assistant and interviewing the applicant, presented by one of the evaluation team members, decides through a reasoned decision on the acceptance or, as the case may be, the rejection of the request for issuing the maternal assistant certificate. The certificate is annexed to the CPC decision.

CPC may, in justified situations, also interview other persons, from whom they may request additional information they consider necessary for the acceptance or, as the case may be, rejection of the request for issuing the maternal assistant certificate.

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