Bulgaria
Bulgaria is one of the newest members of the European Union and, like many other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, it has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. Despite this, the new government is determined to invest money in improving the system of caring for children and families. Bulgaria faces many challenges in this regard. Per capita, it has one of highest number of children in institutions across Europe. Although some progress has been made over the past decade, there has, as yet, been no comprehensive plan for strategic deinstitutionalisation and the development of community based services. But that situation is changing.
Over the past year, Lumos has been working closely with officials from the European Commission in Brussels and with officers from the Bulgarian government, to identify ways in which Bulgaria can best reform its services for vulnerable children and families. Both the government and the EC are totally committed to improving the situation for children and recently, the Ministry for Labour and Social Policy (MLSP) has asked Lumos to assist them by working with local experts to develop a comprehensive action plan for reforming institutions.
Lumos is also working to identify a number of pilot regions where we will help local authorities begin to close their institutions and develop the community based services they need.
For enquiries about our work in Bulgaria, please contact Rossitsa Petrova, Country Representative.
