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2000 kids annually abandoned in Bulgaria

The Foundation is the first organization introducing foster care in Bulgaria in 1998. This year’s edition of the Foster Care campaign is sponsored by the European Commission and is the 13th in a row launched in this country, said Elka Nalbantova, Chairperson of the Foundation. In Bulgaria there are 6 333 children living in social homes. About 2 000 are left each year in baby care homes, while nearly 1 000 are abandoned immediately after their birth. Some 560 children are accommodated with foster parents. The number of approved foster families is 627, “For our Children” Foundation has announced.

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National campaign to promote foster care in Bulgaria

More than 6,300 are the children in Bulgaria, living in social institutions. Some of them have been living in these institutions since the day they were born, while others remained without parental care during a later stage of their life. Whatever the reasons, the fate of all these children is cruel. They live in institutions that leave them unprepared for the life outside. One of the priorities of the Social Ministry is the gradual closing of big institutions from the past and replacing them with smaller family-type homes. The process, however, is slow and foster care is the only alternative now. Foster care is not very popular in Bulgaria and foster families are currently around 627. There are also issues such as low payment and organizational problems. “For Our Children Foundation” tries to break social and political stereotypes. The foundation has been trying to promote foster care since 1998. This year the 13th informational campaign of the foundation takes places, this time financed by the European Commission. This time the information campaign will also include a video in addition to leaflets. A special telephone line to provide information to everyone who wishes to become a foster parent will also start working. Everyone can help for developing the foster care in Bulgaria. It is necessary that professional foster care be well paid. In the Netherlands, a foster mother receives 2,200 Euro a month, while in Bulgaria such a mother gets 200 Euro, Maria Blagoeva of the National Foster Care Association and a foster parent herself, says and adds.

“We are also concerned about the attitude towards foster parents. Most people do not realize that one needs to have a lot of love in their heart to take care of children from institutions. We are to insist for additional stimuli for the foster parents. We also want to make institutions understand that when an abandoned child is to be adopted or returned to his or her parents, time is necessary, in order to reduce the adaptation stress. But despite all the difficulties, being a foster parent is worth it. Children are thankful and loving and you just need to accept them,” Maria Blagoeva concludes.