Last week, we participated in a national conference dedicated to residential care for children in Bulgaria. The two-day event took place in Veliko Tarnovo on November 6 and 7 and was organised by the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo, the International Social Service (ISS) Bulgaria Foundation, and UNICEF Bulgaria.

 

The conference marked the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the National Strategy “Vision for the Deinstitutionalisation of Children in the Republic of Bulgaria” and aimed to highlight achievements, draw attention to challenges, and outline new directions for the development of social services for children in Bulgaria.

More than 200 professionals, social service providers from municipalities and non-governmental organisations, and institutions discussed the changes that have taken place in the care of disadvantaged children and whether we share a common vision of what constitutes quality residential care for children and young people in need of support.

On the first day of the meeting, the results of a survey of residential care staff were presented. Emphasis was placed on the need for therapeutic work in residential care settings. And in the context of current trends and developments in residential care, attention was drawn to the need to shift the focus from creating such services to preventing abandonment and supporting families.

At the conclusion of the working sessions, proposals and recommendations for change were outlined, which the event organisers committed to presenting to the relevant institutions. All participants agreed on the need for a significant improvement in cross-sectoral cooperation between the structures of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education and Science, so that they can all work together to promote child welfare and support families.