FUNDAMENTAL LESSONS AND FORTHCOMING CHALLENGES IN THE PROCESS OF REFORM OF THE CHILD CARE SYSTEM IN BULGARIA SHEREEN MESTAN – CHAIRPERSON OF THE STATE AGENCY FOR CHILD PROTECTION

LEGAL FRAMEWORK Republic of Bulgaria ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in The National Assembly adopted Law Child Protection Law in 2000.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK – SECONDARY LEGISLATION TO THE LCP ORDINANCE on the terms and conditions for provision of police protection to the child; ORDINANCE on the terms and conditions for protection of talented children; ORDINANCE on the terms and conditions for enforcement of measures for prevention of abandonment and placement in institutions, and on child reintegration; ORDINANCE on the terms and conditions for application, recruitment and approval of foster families as well as placement of children with foster families ; ORDINANCE on the special protection of children at public places; ORDINANCE on the criteria and standards for the social child care services.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK Law on the National Education Law on the Social Assistance Law on the Family Benefits For Children Law on Protection against Domestic Violence Law on the Health Penal Code New Family Code – in process of adoption

INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE

MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICY SOCIAL ASSISTANCE AGENCY SOCIAL ASSISTANCE DIRECTORATE CHILD PROTECTION DEPARTMENT MINISTRY OF JUSTICE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL CHILD PROTECTION AND INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS DIRECTORATE MINISTRY OF HEALTH MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR INSTITU TIONS FOR MEDICA L- SOCIAL CHILD CARE (IMSCC) MUNICIPALITIES STATE AGENCY FOR CHILD PROTECTION SPECIALISED INSTITUTIONS FOR CHILDREN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS HEALTH ESTABLISHM ENTS NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR CHILD PROTECTION CHILD COUNCIL Council of Ministers

STATE POLICY PRIORITIES - DEINSTITUTIONALISATION Plan for reducing the number of children, placed in specialised institutions, adopted by the Council of Ministers. Two overall assessments of all specialised institutions in:

STATE POLICY PRIORITIES - DEINSTITUTIONALISATION Number of children, placed in specialised institutions: 2001 – ; 2002 – ; 2003 – ; 2004 – ; 2005 – 9 776; 2006 – In comparison with 2001, the number of children, placed in institutions is reduced with children i.e. with 31,4%.

STATE POLICY PRIORITIES - DEINSTITUTIONALISATION Today the number of children at risk to whom protection measure in family environment is provided is higher than the number of such children placed in institutions. In 2006: Prevention of abandonment of children – 2 042; Children, reintegrated in family environment – 2 143; Children, placed with families of relatives or friends (kinship care) – 1 995; Children, placed with foster families – 75; Adopted children

MONITORING SYSTEM FOR CHILD CARE Ordinance on the criteria and standards for the social child care services. Preliminary control through licensing regime for the social child care services providers. Subsequent control on the observance of the child care standards through inspections and checks.

Planned inspection in: 74 specialised schools; 24 social pedagogical boarding-schools and penitentiary boarding-schools; 59 day centres for children with disabilities; 9 social-educational professional institutions; More than 190 checks on signals. MONITORING SYSTEM FOR CHILD CARE

NATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM Contains data about: children at risk; talented children; data from the registers, kept by Regional Social Assistance Directorates to the Social Assistance Agency as provided by the Family Code; Specialized institutions for children; Non-profit organizations, working on child programmes; Children, not attending schools; Social child care services providers; Other important data about child protection;

STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – POLICES FOR PREVENTION OF RISK FACTORS Violence against children; Trafficking; Commercial sexual exploitation; Worst labour exploitation.

1 800 complaints and signals for infringements of the rights of the child in complaints and signals for infringements of the rights of the child in Growth - 22 times STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – POLICES FOR PREVENTION OF RISK FACTORS

Specialised Internet sites: STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – POLICES FOR PREVENTION OF RISK FACTORS

National action plan against commercial sexual exploitation of children – adopted Coordination mechanism for referring and care of cases of not accompanied Bulgarian children and children – victims of human trafficking, returning from abroad. National strategy for protection of rights of street children Plan for work with begging children National integrated plan for the implementation of the UN Convention on the rights of the child for the period 2006 – STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – POLICES FOR PREVENTION OF RISK FACTORS

LONG TERM STATE POLICY OBJECTIVES Strategy for the child

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