I NVESTING IN CHILDREN - EU INSTRUMENTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Policy responses and reforms in Bulgaria to support children and families 31 October 2014, Sofia MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICY REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

P OLICIES REGARDING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES - BASIC OBJECTIVES (1) Guaranteeing the right of every child to have a family; Development of high-quality community-based social services; Development of high-quality community-based social services; Child poverty reduction; Child poverty reduction; Accelerating the process of deinstitutionalization.

P OLICIES REGARDING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES - BASIC OBJECTIVES (2) 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

K EY 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.

N ATIONAL 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’

H UMAN R ESOURCES D EVELOPMENT O PERATIONAL P ROGRAMME (1) Providing quality support to children and families - a priority for the new programming period Improving child welfare in accordance with the recommendation of the European Commission ‘Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’

H UMAN R ESOURCES D EVELOPMENT O PERATIONAL P ROGRAMME (2) 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.

D EINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILD CARE (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

D EINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILD CARE – KEY 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.

C HILD 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

C OMMUNITY - 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

E ARLY 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.

S OCIAL 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.

F INANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN Family Allowances Act; Child Protection Act and its implementing rules.

T HANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION !