Gorna Koznitsa Orphanage

The old institution in the village of Gorna Koznitsa used to accommodate 59 children and young adults with mild to severe intellectual and physical disabilities. The Cedar Foundation spent 3 years (2008 to 2010) working on the closure of this institutional facility where the residents severely lacked proper care and specialized therapy, were neglected and suffered the impact of complete social disintegration.

The main aspects of our work during the process of closing down the institution were:

• Preparing the children and young adults with special needs for life in the community
• Developing individual Care and Support Plans for every one of them
• Providing personnel training in contemporary approaches and best practices in the work with people with disabilities
• Renovations and improvements for creating a more suitable living ambience prior to the transition to the family-type residential homes

As a result of our 3-year-long efforts the children and young adults previously residing in the institution are now living in a family-type environment throughout Bulgaria. Twenty-four of them are accommodated in the Family-type homes “Siyanie” managed by The Cedar Foundation in the town of Kyustendil.

For more information about the process of closing down the institution in the village of Gorna Koznitsa, check our "Creating New Horizons" manual.