The overall objective of this research focused on the analysis of the situation and needs of children and elderly left behind by their family members as a consequence of labour migration that will be of use for the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family of the Republic of Moldova in establishing some guidelines for the development of policies based on empirical data that will anticipate/mitigate the negative consequences of migration through measures protecting children and elderly left behind.
One of the greatest challenges of the reported research lay in describing the diversity of life situations and consequently the needs of children and elderly left behind and presenting mechanisms for their protection. The lives of this category of children and elderly were explored by analysing their perception of migration for work, the effects on their psycho-social, educational and health condition, the family’s integrity, the well-being of the household, life prospects and not least their needs of the community’s support.
