our work
Social services
Small Group Homes “Siyanie”
Kyustendil

In 2010, we established and took over the management of first of their kind Small group homes for children and youth with disabilities in partnership with the municipality of Kyustendil. In 2021, we won the competition to continue for another 5 years. The centres are located in the town of Kyustendil and consist of 2 houses and 2 apartments in different parts of the town.
Their establishment began with the closure of the Home for Children with Mental Retardation (HCRMR) in the village of Gorna Koznitsa and moving out of all 58 children and young people accommodated there. We coordinated all the steps to prepare the children for moving out, assisted in their smooth transition to family-type homes, and developed and implemented a new tool to assess their skills and needs.
Today, we provide 24-hour quality family-type care to 24 youth and adults with disabilities. The centres are designed to provide an environment as close to that of a family as possible. There are a total of 36 staff members – social therapists, social workers, occupational therapists, and team leaders. They assist the young people in their daily lives, support them in learning skills for greater independence, make contacts with potential employers, organise holidays, trips, and participation in events in the city.
Our teams receive induction and ongoing training, regular supervision, and opportunities to share experiences and learn new practices. Each young person is worked with individually according to their needs and preferences, and the family-style environment reinforces their sense of security. The Foundation also provides various opportunities to integrate young people into the community so that they can be contributing members of society.
Small Group Homes and Protected Home
Kazanlak
We run three Small group homes and one Sheltered Home in the town of Kazanlak. There, we provide 24-hour individual care for 45 children and young people deprived of parental care. Most of them are disabled and have lived in state-run homes in different parts of the country. There, they have grown up in isolation, and the deficit of attention and love has left deep scars.
In the four houses, each child and young person receives respect, support and individual care, according to their personal needs and potential. We support the social integration of children and young people by making sure they attend day centres, mainstream schools, and kindergartens, as well as helping them to develop their skills and learn new ones. Each child and young person is worked with individually according to a pre-determined needs assessment and their own needs and requirements. We support the involvement of children and young people in a variety of initiatives and opportunities to integrate them into the community so that they feel they are meaningful members of the community and become more independent.
In the long-term, our aim is for children and young people to grow up loving, becoming more independent, making their own decisions and, where possible, starting work.
The Small group homes and the Protected Home in Kazanlak employ a total of 47 staff, including social therapists, team leaders, social workers, occupational therapists and a rehabilitation therapist. The teams undergo introductory and ongoing trainings, regular supervision and opportunities to exchange experiences and learn new practices.

Social Rehabilitation and Integration Centre
Kyustendil

The Centre for Social Rehabilitation and Integration “Sineva” in Kyustendil opened in autumn of 2015. It is a place where young people with intellectual disabilities receive quality support for their individual development. The aim is to develop their abilities and acquire new ones, to increase their independence, and to provide them with the opportunity for real social integration and social inclusion.
The Centre employs a team of 8 highly qualified specialists, including social workers, a speech therapist, a psychologist, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, and an art therapist.
Currently, the Centre supports 36 young people who regularly attend classes. Working with the different professionals, according to the personal needs of each client, helps them to adapt quickly and they come with great desire and interest. This is also due to the fact that young people with disabilities are usually isolated, have little or no access to education or work, and are forced to spend their daily lives behind the walls of their home.
One of the important specifics of the Centre is that, in addition to the young people with disabilities, it also works with their relatives and families who are provided with psychological support and guidance for adequate help within the family. The aim is to keep them informed of their child’s progress and to involve them in the process of support at home so that the results achieved at the Centre can be consolidated and further developed.
The services offered by the Centre are in three main areas:
Advisory services
We provide social and family counselling and psychological support according to the individual condition of the young person and their relatives.
Rehabilitation
Includes social rehabilitation, cognitive, psychological, and physiotherapy
Therapeutic activities
These aim to have a comprehensive impact on the overall development of young people. They include speech therapy, art therapy, occupational therapy, and sensory therapy.