The profession of professional foster parent, of licensed sign language and deaf-blind language interpreter and of professional personal assistant

The field of disabled people and of children registered in the welfare system covers several regulated professions falling under the remit of the National Authority for Rights of Disabled People, Children and Adoptions [Autoritatea Națională pentru Drepturile Persoanelor cu Dizabilități, Copii și Adopții – ANDPDCA].

A professional foster parent is the natural person, certified in accordance with Government Decision No 679/2003, whose work at home consists in raising, caring and educating the children they foster, as required for their successful development.

The persons interested in becoming foster parents (EU citizens), will find information on the website of the National Authority for Rights of Disabled People, Children and Adoptions (ANDPDCA) on the procedure to follow and the required documents.

In accordance with Law No 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of disabled people, as republished, as subsequently amended and supplemented, one of the specific measures that public authorities are required to take in order to ensure that disabled people have access to the physical, informational and communicational environment is to provide licensed sign language and deaf-blind language interpreters.

Central and local authorities and institutions, both public and private, ensure that licensed sign language or deaf-blind language interpreters are provided for direct relations with hearing-impaired or deaf-blind people.

The methodology for certifying sign language and deaf-blind language interpreters was approved by Order No 671/1640/61/2007 of the Minister for Labour, Family and Equal Opportunities, of the President of the National Authority for Disabled People and of the Minister for Education, Research and Youth, as subsequently amended and supplemented.

Sign language and the specific language of deaf-blind people are officially recognised as means of communication specific to hearing-impaired or deaf-blind people.

A professional personal assistant is the certified natural person who provides care and protection in their home for severely disabled adults or for adults with a progressive disability, qualified as such under the law, and represents one of the protection measures established by the committee for assessment of disabled adults, which are set out in the individual rehabilitation and social integration programme.

The rights and obligations of the professional personal assistant are included in Section 3 – Professional personal assistant of Law No 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of disabled people, republished, as subsequently amended and supplemented.

The conditions for obtaining the certificate, the certification procedures and the status of the professional personal assistant are approved by Government Decision No 548/2017 approving the conditions for obtaining the certificate, the certification procedures and the status of the professional personal assistant.

The template certificate of the professional personal assistant is approved by Order No 1691/2018 of the Minister for Labour and Social Justice.

The mandatory minimum standards for the care and protection of severely disabled adults or adults with a progressive disability by the professional personal assistant were approved by Order No 1069/2018 of the Minister for Labour and Social Justice.