What began as concern over long waits for speech therapy grew into a powerful community-led advocacy success, increasing the number of therapists and helping children catch up with their peers. In 2023, there was only one speech therapist in Drochia, Moldova, responsible for more than 90 children with identified support needs. It was estimated, though, that around 800 children, 18% of the child population in the district, needed speech-therapy.
After evidence gathering by an NGO and awareness raising with parents, educators and school management, findings on how many children needed speech-therapy were submitted to the district council, which led to increased budgets for speech-therapy. The number of speech-therapists increased, which also helped to reduce disparities between urban and rural areas.