FUNDAMENTAL LESSONS AND FORTHCOMING CHALLENGES IN THE PROCESS OF REFORM OF THE CHILD CARE SYSTEM IN BULGARIA

1. 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

2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK • Republic of Bulgaria ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. • The National Assembly adopted Law Child Protection Law in 2000.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE

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

7. 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: • 2004 • 2006

8. STATE POLICY PRIORITIES - DEINSTITUTIONALISATION • Number of children, placed in specialised institutions: • 2001 – 12 609; • 2002 – 11 915; • 2003 – 10 875; • 2004 – 10 284; • 2005 – 9 776; • 2006 – 8 653. • In comparison with 2001, the number of children, placed in institutions is reduced with 3 956 children i.e. with 31,4%.

9. 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 - 737.

10. 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 standardsthrough inspections and checks.

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

12. 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;

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

14. STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – POLICES FOR PREVENTION OF RISK FACTORS • 1 800 complaints and signals for infringements of the rights of the child in2001. • 40 165 complaints and signals for infringements of the rights of the child in2006. • Growth - 22 times

15. STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – POLICES FOR PREVENTION OF RISK FACTORS Specialised Internet sites: • http://www.sacp.government.bg; • http://www.stopech.government.bg; • http://www.crc.government.bg/

16. STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – POLICES FOR PREVENTION OF RISK FACTORS • National action plan against commercial sexual exploitation of children – adopted 2003. • 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 – 2009.

17. LONG TERM STATE POLICY OBJECTIVES Strategy for the child 2007 - 2017

18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!