For years, the Moraru* siblings didn’t have a stable family or a place to call home. Their respective fathers abandoned them, and their mother was unable to care for them due to her alcohol addiction. So Eleonora (7), Iuliana (5), Nadejda (2), and Nicu (1) were all left to the care of local orphanages—separated from each other, without the love of a family. It was at that moment in their lives that CERI met them—vulnerable and separated—and started advocating for a solution. We knew that a loving family would give these children their best chance at a happy childhood. Two years later, we identified the solution: the Ieseanus.
The Ieseanu family decided to foster them, reuniting the siblings and showing them what a family truly could be.
Irina and Constantin Ieseanu have two biological sons, but their own family’s demands didn’t stop them from taking in four more. The Ieseanu family is a welcome change for the four Moraru siblings—especially for Nicu, the youngest. He has lived in Moldovan state care since the earliest days of his life, left without a chance to bond with a loving mother or father.
The Moraru siblings were officially placed with the Ieseanus on June 1, 2020. Since welcoming their new foster children home, the Ieseanus have noticed significant and encouraging changes in the children. Nicu, the youngest, has shown the most improvement. His time in the orphanage worsened his existing health problems, delaying his development. Most days, he lay in his crib without much human interaction. After only a few months with Irina and Constantin, however, Nicu started to sit on his own and even tried walking.
The girls have changed, too. Irina and Constantin say the girls’ behavior and life skills are improving every day as they experience the unconditional love of a family.
Irina and Constantin’s care for the Moraru siblings is a product of their generosity and willingness to help children in their own country. But it’s also a testament to CERI’s work of more than 20 years in Moldova. Through CERI’s support and programs, foster families like Irina and Constantin are offered counseling, training, and vital tools to help them create a safe family environment. With CERI’s support, they can work to repair the damage of a traumatic childhood and strengthen communication between every member of their new family.
It’s a ripple effect: the Ieseanu family receives Christ-centered services from CERI, and in turn, the Ieseanus are empowered to offer God’s love to the children in their care.
The Moraru children also receive their own direct care from CERI through cash stipends, food, clothing, and the dedicated attention of their case managers at CERI Moldova. All of this is possible because of the support CERI receives from generous, passionate donors in the U.S.
“They have a safe and nurturing environment where they are properly cared for and loved,” said Irina Rotaru, CERI Moldova staff member.
“Here, it’s much different than in a shelter. They have the opportunity to experience things they could never have at a shelter—individual attention, genuine interest from other family members, opportunities to learn and improve—and just be kids.”
The story isn’t over for the Moraru children.
Right now, they have the support they need, with a loving family and a team of case managers to help them through every joyful and heartbreaking moment that life will bring. But there are many years between the children they are today and the adults they will become. Their childhood has been set on a path of restoration, but they will need ongoing support throughout the rest of their childhood years.
Not every child is as blessed as the Moraru kids. But at CERI, we’re working hard to change that. Thanks to the generous support of people just like you, children like Eleonora, Iuliana, Nadejda, and Nicu will have a chance at a restored childhood.
