Analysis of the child protection system in Bulgaria: Final Report (English)
01 Oct 2019
Bulgaria
This country page features an interactive, icon-based data dashboard providing a national-level overview of the status of children’s care and care reform efforts (a “Country Care Snapshot”), along with a list of resources and organizations in the country.
demographic_data
6.98 million
Total Population
World Bank, 2019
16%
Population Under 18
National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI), 2019
2.3
People
Mean Household Size
LFS 2011
17.7%
Prevalence of Female-Headed Households
NSI, 2019
Upper Middle-Income Country
World Bank GNI Status
NO SOURCE GIVEN
23.8%
Living Below Poverty Line
World Bank, 2019
41.3
GINI Coefficient
World Bank, 2018
0.816
Human Development Index
UNDP, 2019
childrens_living_arrangement
%
Country
NO SOURCE GIVEN
47%
Living with Both Parents
NSI, 2018
i
This is the percentage of living-together married couples with children. This data comes from an official situational analysis called "Жените и мъжете в България през 2018", published by the NSI. It should be noted that the paper uses data from the last national population censuses that took place in 2011. Another one is being done right now actually, so we'll have more accurate data at the end of this year.
14.7%
Living with One Parent
NSI, 2018
i
This is the percentage of single-parents households.
%
Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
children_living_without_bio
0.5%
Living in Kinship Care
Agency for Social Assistance, 2019
33.90%
Children living below poverty line
Children at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) in 2019
i
The number of extremely poor families increased due to staff cuts or forced unpaid leave. There is a real danger that children who have been recently reintegrated into such families will be abandoned again. https://eurochild.org/uploads/2020/12/2020-Eurochild-Semester-Report.pdf"
Children Engaged in Child Labor
9,400
Children
Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate", 2019
i
Number of children aged 16-18 officially employed to work with a special permission, according to the Bulgarian legislation.
Children with Disabilities
32,000
Children
Agency for Social Assistance, 2019
i
There is no official statistics on this, but the experts generally agree that the number of children with disabilities can be estimated according to the social aids that their parents are receiving from the state and 32,000 is the estimated number. About 23,000 children with disabilities attend schools and kindergartens according to the Ministry of Education.
Left Behind Children (Migration)
270,000
Children
UNICEF, 2014
i
"Ефекти върху децата, оставени от родители, които работят и живеят в чужбина", 2014
Ethnic Minority Children
NO DATA AVAILABLE
Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019
i
"Romani Children are overrepresented in institutional care, representing up to two thirds of all children in Bulgaria."
Children Affected by HIV
NO DATA AVAILABLE
WHO, 2019
i
It should be less than 100 according to the graphs in WHO’s paper “HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2019”. This is known for sure, but for some reason the data is not publicly available, so again – we’ll have to ask for it, this time the Ministry of Health.
Street Connected Children
NO DATA AVAILABLE
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
There’s no reliable official data. Again, if you look at the services provided to street children the record will be for about 100-150 children, while experts (e.g. SOS Child Villages who are actively working with this group of children in Bulgaria) claim that between 2,500 and 4,000 fall in this category as defined by UNICEF.
Children Experiencing Violence
NO DATA AVAILABLE
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Child protection departments have been working on exactly 446 confirmed cases of violence against children in 2019. However, arguably the number of children who suffer violence is far greater. According to a very recent study by UNICEF about 47% of all children in Bulgaria have experienced violence in some form or another, which means that basically every second child has been a victim. This is a huge problem for the country and a topic that is highly sensitive and tough to research.
Children in Conflict with the Law
200
Children
Opening Doors Factsheet, 2018
Children on the Move
799
Children
State agency for refugees in Bulgaria, 2020
i
This is the number of unaccompanied minors who have entered that country and applied for refugee status or some other procedures under the law during the year. In reality, few of this children remain in Bulgaria for more than 2-3 months up to a year in rare cases. Bulgaria is a transit country and children just move though it to re-connect with families or search for better future in Western Europe.
Children of Single Mothers
360,000
Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
This is the number of mothers who raise their child alone, some of them have more than one child.
Children Whose Parents Lack "Parenting Capacity"
NO DATA AVAILABLE
Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019
i
Defined as the "lack of knowledge and skills on parenting or a underdeveloped sense of responsibility to raise the child" (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
Children Whose Parents are in Conflict with the Law
12,500
Children
National Netowrk for the Children, 2018
i
This is just the number of children whose parents are in jail, according to a recent study conducted by an NGO in Bulgaria.
0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Total Family-Based Alternative Care
- - Families/Parents
6,496 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Foster Care
- - Foster Families/Foster Parents
1,948 Children
Agency for Social Assistance, 2019
Formal Kinship Care
- - Families/Parents
4,548 Children
Agency for Social Assistance, 2019
Total Residential Care
- - Settings
- - Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Larger Institutions
- - Settings
979 Children
Opening Doors for Europe's Children Factsheet, 2018
Small Group Homes
- - Settings
3,095 Children
i
This is the number of children living in small group homes.
Agency for Social Assistance, 2019
Institutions for Children in Conflict with the Law
- - Settings
125 Children
State Agency for Child Protection, 2019
Specialised Institutions for Child Care
- - Settings
277 Children
i
There are only four institutions for children that are still functioning and they should be closed by the end of 2021.
Ministry of Health in an official letter to the Childhood 2025 Coalition, January 2021
adoption
NO DATA AVAIABLE
Country
NO SOURCE GIVEN
500
children
Domestic Adoption
Official data from the Annual Report of Agency for Social Assistance, 2019
i
Report of agency for social assistance.
178
children
Inter-country Adoption
Ministry of Justice, 2020
NO DATA AVAIABLE
Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Country
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
NO DATA AVAILABLE
Social Welfare Spending
NO SOURCE GIVEN
NO DATA AVAILABLE
Child Welfare Spending
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
"Over €100 million from the EU structural funds, including the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, have been allocated to support the process of deinstitutionalisation" (Opening Doors Factsheet, 2018)
BGN
227.91 million
Child Protection Spending
UNICEF, 2019
i
"The assessment indicates that in 2018, the core funding for the provision of child protection in 2018 was BGN 227.912.211."
Alternative Care Policy in Line with the 2009 Guidelines
Mostly
The Family Code; Child Protection Act and its implementing regulation; Ordinance on the terms and conditions for the implementation of measures to prevent child abandonment and placement in institutions and reintegration adopted by Decree in 2003; National Strategy for Vision for Deinstitutionalisation 2010-2025; 2016 Action Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy
i
The National Strategy for Vision for Deinstitutionalisation 2010-2025 takes its mandate from the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, but gaps exist. In terms of alternative care of children, the principles of necessity and suitability are present in the different laws and policies; nevertheless, they have not been made more explicit or accompanied by a clear definition to ensure a more systematic application of them (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
Commitment to Deinstitutionalistion
Yes
Vision for Deinstitutionalisation (DI) of Children in Bulgaria; 2016-2020 Action Plan for deinstitutionalisation; Continuing support for deinstitutionalisation of children and young people project; Updated Action Plan for the Implementation of the Vision for Deinstitutionalisation
i
"The Government’s commitment to achieve a complete transition from institutional to family- and community-based care by 2025, coupled with continued EU support, made Bulgaria a pioneer Member State in leveraging EU funding for catalyzing reforms in child protection" (Opening Doors Factsheet, 2018)
Comprehensive Child Protection Law
Mostly
Child Protection Act; Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria of 1991; Law on Social Services; Social Assistance Act; The Family Code; Family Allowances for Children Act; National Strategy for the Child (2008-2018); National Programme for Child Protection; National Strategy “Vision for Deinstitutionalization of Children in Republic of Bulgaria” 2010-2025; National Programme for Prevention of Violence and Abuse of Children 2017-2020
i
"Since the adoption of the Child Protection Act, Bulgaria started building a nation-wide child protection system, which also addresses issues related to prevention, identification and response to violence against children. Progress has been made with regard to knowledge generation; development and implementation of prevention programmes and services; raising sensitivity and awareness; coordination and referral mechanisms; specialized services for children victims of violence and abuse; monitoring and inspection system" (UNICEF, 2019)
Continuum of Alternative Care Services Available
Mostly
Foster Care, Family-Based Care, Small Group Homes, Residential Institutions, Adoption
i
There has been a considerable increase (over 200%) in the number of children in foster care from 2009 to 2017 (Opening Doors Factsheet, 2018)
Data System
Partly
ASA’s Integrated Information System (IIS)
i
"Launching the ASA’s Integrated Information System is a step towards modernization and optimization of the Child Protection system in Bulgaria, as it provides authorities with a tool to collect, store and easily access relevant information without delays. While the current functionalities of the system aren’t built for wider analytical purposes and provide general statistics taken from the multiple registers it holds, there still seems to be untapped potential in its use, as it can provide more insight into case and workforce management, as well as double as a monitoring tool for control of CPDs" (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
Existence of a Regulatory Body and Regulatory System
Partly
SACP, ASA, Agency for Quality of Social Services and municipalities
i
"The structure of the child protection system is presently built around three institutions with primary responsibility for oversight and control of social services and the quality of the childprotection system: SACP, ASA, and municipalities. However, the 2019 Social Services Act (SSA) envisages the creation of the Agency for Quality of Social Services that will take over some of the control and oversight functions of SACP and ASA" (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
Gatekeeping Mechanism/Policy
Mostly
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
"There has been considerable investment in ensuring that all children referred to the authorities as being at risk or deprived of adequate care are supported through one unified gatekeeping mechanism. This mechanism applies to all children at risk or deprived of inadequate care, regardless of whether they are referred by a health, education, police or other professional or by a member of the public. Gatekeeping is led by an assigned social worker from the municipal Child Protection Department. They work in partnership with the child, his/her family, and health, education, police and other professionals to assess and respond to the care needs of the child. Decisions associated with placements into alternative care and removal or restriction of parental rights are taken by the local judiciary" (Gatekeeping - Making Decisions for the Better Care of Children, 2015)
Means of Tracking Progress with Reforms
Partly
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Moratorium on Admission into Institutions for Children Under 3
Yes
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
This is part of the new Social Services Act adopted by the government in 2019.
Moratorium on New Institutions
Yes
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
This is part of the new Social Services Act adopted by the government in 2019.
National Action Plan to Guide Reforms
Yes
Vision for Deinstitutionalisation (DI) of Children in Bulgaria; 2016-2020 Action Plan for deinstitutionalisation; Continuing support for deinstitutionalisation of children and young people project; Up-dated Action Plan for the Implementation of the Vision for Deinstitutionalization
i
The National Network of Children Bulgaria, the Coalition 2025 and the Expert Working Group on Deinstitutionalisation express concerns that the 2016-2020 Action Plan for deinstitutionalisation lacks clear division of responsibilities between relevant authorities; there is no multilateral coordination of activities with partners and stakeholders; the document lacks detailed planning, including specific timelines and monitoring. Furthermore, there was no consultations held regarding different operations under the Operational Programmes: neither in the Expert Working Group on Deinstitutionalisation nor in the Inter-Ministry Working Group (within the Council of Ministers). Furthermore, institutions for children in conflict with the law are excluded from the strategy on deinstitutionalisation (Opening Doors Factsheet, 2018)
National Standards of Care
Partly
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
The government is working right now on those. They will be in place in 2022.
Prevention of Separation Services Available
Limited
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
"There are more than 600 social services for children now funded by the national budget...In 2017 the work on developing a new Social Services Act was resumed." (Opening Doors Factsheet, 2018) However, the UNICEF analysis of the child protection system in Bulgaria (2019) found that prevention of family separation services are generally inefficient and current public policies do not correspond to the needs of the families, noting that "in their current state, efforts to prevent family-child separation suffer due to the fact that the guidelines and measures are scattered in multiple documents." Furthermore, the report notes that "prevention of child-parent separation is not yet fully operational: children are still separated in the same proportions over the years but placed with foster families rather than in residential care. Entrenched poverty and lack of community support are still amongst the main causes of parental neglect."
Support for Careleavers (in Legislation and in Practice)
Partly
Eurochild's "Growing up in lockdown: Europe’s children in the age of COVID-19" report, 2020
i
There is no state policy with respect to care leavers in Bulgaria. There is a general provision for preparation of a care leaving plan which in practice means a meeting between a social worker and a care leaver to complete a template.
Closure of Specialised Institutions for Children with Disabilities
Yes
Opening Doors Factsheet, 2018
Closure of Specialised Institutions for Children Deprived of Parental Care
Yes
i
Closed in 2020
social_work_force
Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Country
Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
A national workforce assessment and analysis carried out within the past four years
Yes
Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019
A system of licensing/registration of social service professionals
No
Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019
i
"Unlike other related professions such as school teachers,236 the minimum professional qualifications required for the position of a “social worker” is a high school degree. The ordinance for career development of the social workers further includes a requirement for possession of a specific knowledge of the goals of social work, ethical standards in working with clients and the legal framework for social protection, and some additional soft skills (teamwork, computer literacy). There is a requirement for a bachelor’s degree for the positions of chief social worker, but no specific areas of education have been mentioned. Similarly, while higher education is required for heads of child protection departments (CPDs), there are no specific educational or professional qualifications requirements (such as specific academic degrees or number of years of experience) stipulated in Social Protection Act or other relevant laws. In addition, there is no requirement for specialisation on child protection or any prior experience working with children" (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
key_stakeholders
Key Stakeholders
Add New DataCountry
Government
i
Authorized to carry out the following functions: management of, coordination of, and control in the area of child protection, management of national and regional programs, provision of methodological guidance to the Child Protection Departments, initiation of, and participation in the development of relevant legislation, control on the respect of the rights of children, maintenance of a national information system on the children at risk, licensing private service providers. SACP has 4 regional offices for monitoring the adherence to the standards for social services for children and the child rights." (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
i
An executive agency under the MLSP and has the following main responsibilities: administration of social benefits and family allowances for children, provision of social services, control over the adherence to the adopted criteria and standards for social services, issuing of decisions on the establishment and closure of the state-delegated social services, registration of legal entities and physical persons (registered under the Commercial Act) as service providers. (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
i
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy manages, coordinates and controls the implementation of the social policy of the state in the sphere of children and family; supports and encourages the cooperation with the civil organizations with the purpose of
active involvement in the process of preparation, implementation and monitoring of the policy on child protection; manages, coordinates and controls the activities related to encouragement and support of responsible parenthood; manages, coordinates and controls the preparation of draft legislation acts, strategies, programmes, action plans and reports in the sphere of demographic policy, family and children. (UNICEF, 2019)
Ministry of Interior
i
The Ministry of Interior provides police protection of children by the specialized bodies of the Ministry; takes part in the exercising of control over the specialized protection of children in public places; carries out control of children crossing Bulgarian state borders. (UNICEF, 2019)
Ministry of Education and Science
i
The Ministry of Education and Science ensures the safety of children in state schools and kindergartens in the system of preschool and school education; ensures the cooperation with the managing bodies of the specialized institutions via the regional educational administrations in the sphere of residential type services in order to specify the educational needs of every child and to provide proper training; carries out activities related to prevention and solving the problems of students who do not attend classes; takes part in the provision special protection of gifted children. (UNICEF, 2019)
Ministry of Justice
i
The Ministry of Justice supervises the activities related to international adoption according to the Family Code, and perform the functions assigned to the Ministry of Justice as a central body in the sphere of international conventions in the field of international adoption and child protection; ensures the safety of children serving imprisonment sentence at reformatories, residing in prisons or prison premises or who have been detained at prosecution arrests; undertakes actions in order to research the opportunities of offering and concluding bilateral agreements with Members States – parties to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, regarding international adoption of children with health problems or specific needs. (UNICEF, 2019)
Ministry of Culture
i
The Ministry of Culture is engaged in the identification, support and training of gifted children in the sphere of culture; conducts policy on protection and development of culture, supporting the mental, spiritual, moral and social development of children; ensures the safety of children at schools and the other organizational units in the system of the Ministry of Culture. (UNICEF, 2019)
Ministry of Health
i
The Ministry of Health supervises the provision of accessible and quality medical care, giving priority to children, pregnant women and mothers of children up to one year of age; supervises the activities carried out by the medical and social care centres; manages and supervises the activities related to protection of children’s health in order to provide the highest possible health standard for the state. (UNICEF, 2019)
Directorates for Social Assistance
i
On the municipal level, there are The Directorates for Social Assistance (DSA) which have 3 departments – Social Protection, Integration of People with Disabilities and Child Protection. The Child Protection Departments are the specialized structures at the local level responsible for child protection. (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
Regional Directorates for Social Assistance (RDSA)
i
On the regional level, there are Regional Directorates for Social Assistance (RDSA), which are mandated to coordinate and control the activities of the DSA at their territory and manage the adoption and foster care panels. (Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019)
Ministry on Foreign Affairs
i
The Ministry on Foreign Affairs ensures the protection of the rights and interests of children – Bulgarian citizens outside the state; takes part in the performance of the obligations of the Republic of Bulgaria to other states and international organizations in the sphere of children’s rights and in the control over their fulfillment; coordinates and takes part in the preparation, conducting and implementation of international agreements in the field of children’s rights. (UNICEF, 2019)
Mayors of Municipalities
i
Mayors of municipalities ensure the implementation of state policy on child protection in the municipality and coordinate the child protection activities on a regional level; ensure the safety of children in municipal schools, kindergartens and personal development support centers; undertake measures for safety of children in the structures and units on the territory of the respective municipality; support and encourage the cooperation with civil organizations on a local level with the purpose of including them actively in the process of preparation, implementation and monitoring of a child protection policy. (UNICEF, 2019)
i
In 2020 a new national-level authority has been established to control and monitor the social services. It will request, receive and work with the data coming from the social services providers.
Civil Society Organisations
Effective
drivers_of_institutionalisation
Drivers of Institutionaliziation
Add New DataCountry
Push Factors
Poverty
i
Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019
Lack of Community Services
i
Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019
Lack of Services/Supports for Families of Children with Disabilities
i
Analysis of the Child Protection System in Bulgaria, 2019
Pull Factors
Social Workers' Placement Recommendations
i
A Dead End for Children: Bulgaria’s Group Homes, 2019
Commitment to Reforms in the Sphere of Alternative Care/Political Will
International NGOs Activity
Effective
key_research_and_information
Key Data Sources
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