INVESTING IN CHILDREN - EU INSTRUMENTS INVESTING IN CHILDREN - EU INSTRUMENTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIESAND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Policy responses and reforms Policy responses and reforms in Bulgaria to support in Bulgaria to support children and familieschildren and families

3131 October October 2012014, Sofia4, Sofia

MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICYMINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICY

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

POLICIES REGARDING CHILDREN POLICIES REGARDING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES - BASIC OBJECTIVES AND FAMILIES - BASIC OBJECTIVES

(1)(1)

Guaranteeing the right of every child to have a Guaranteeing the right of every child to have a family;family;

Development of high-quality community-based Development of high-quality community-based social services; social services;

Child poverty reduction;Child poverty reduction; Accelerating the process of deinstitutionalization.Accelerating the process of deinstitutionalization.

POLICIES REGARDING CHILDREN AND POLICIES REGARDING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES - BASIC OBJECTIVES FAMILIES - BASIC OBJECTIVES ((22))

With a focus on the introduction of an entirely new approach to child care by:

- Prevention - Early intervention - Supporting families and providing

family or family-type environment for every child

KEY CHALLENGES KEY CHALLENGES

       Children are a particularly vulnerable group in terms of the risk of poverty and social exclusion;

      Higher risk of poverty among children in Bulgaria compared to the EU average;

       Need for an integrated approach and comprehensive policies;

       Preventing the spillover of intergenerational poverty and support for the child at an early age in order to prevent risks for development, access to child care, school, support for parents.

NATIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKNATIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

       National strategy to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion 2020

National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020, Priority 2 ‘Reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion’

HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME 2014-2020 OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME 2014-2020 (1)(1)

       Providing quality support to children and families - a priority for the new 2014-2020 programming period

       Improving child welfare in accordance with the recommendation of the European Commission ‘Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’

HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME 2014-2020 OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME 2014-2020 ((22))

       Key measures in the new Operational Programme:

-           Provision of services for families with children, prevention services (family counselling, prevention of abandonment, etc.);

-           Support services, including integrated cross-sectoral services in the community or in the family;

-           Coordinated measures to prevent and avoid the causes that give rise to poverty and social exclusion.

DEINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILD DEINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILD CARE CARE (1)(1)

Consistency, continuity and irreversibility in the decisive stage of implementation;

Achieving sustainable and effective results to improve the quality of life of children and to create the best conditions for developing and unfolding their full potential;

Funding via applying the cross-financing model

DEINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILD DEINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILD CARE CARE – –

KEY CHALLENGESKEY CHALLENGES

 Active cooperation between all competent partners and institutions;

Ensuring sustainability of funding; Systematic coordination between all competent

institutions at national, regional and local level;

Providing integrated cross-sectoral services for children;

Effective work on prevention of child abandonment;

Changing public attitudes.

CHILD PROTECTION MEASURESCHILD PROTECTION MEASURES

Prevention, rehabilitation, accommodation with relatives, foster care and adoption

Continuous decrease of children at specialized institutions and providing conditions for their upbringing in a family and a family-like environment

COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL SERVICESCOMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL SERVICES

Developed network of community-based social services, based on the case-by-case approach

Steady trend towards a steady increase in the number of community-based social services for children and reduction of the number of children placed in institutions

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTEARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

New concept for programmes and policies to support children and families

Challenges: • Recognition of early childhood development as a

policy area of all stakeholders; • Active cooperation and close collaboration for

the development and delivery of integrated services for early childhood development;

• Implementation of an integrated approach and coordination of activities between institutions working in the social, health and educational fields.

SOCIAL INCLUSION PROJECTSOCIAL INCLUSION PROJECT

The aim of the project - social inclusion of children up to seven years old through investments in early childhood development;

New types of services for children and families:

             - Early Childhood Development;               - Prevention of risks in early childhood;               - Better coverage and improving the

readiness of children for inclusion in the education system;

              - Improving family environment, etc.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDRENCHILDREN

Family Allowances Act; Child Protection Act and its

implementing rules.

THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTIONTHANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION!!