Foster care in Bulgaria is a social service officially regulated by the Child Protection Act since 2001. As of March 2012, there were 1,121 approved foster carers (841 professional and 280 volunteer foster families). The number of children placed with these families was 1,024—821 in professional foster families and 203 in volunteer foster families. The recruitment, training and work with the foster carers is done by the Child Protection Department in each municipality and various NGO’s – providers of social services. The current situation in foster care is that there is no comprehensive program for work with foster families. Just a few organizations have developed systematic programs, but they are not public agencies and are not accessible to all.
The PRIDE Project implementation in Bulgaria started in September 2011, financed by The Old Beuk in the Bulgaria Foundation. The Association for Pedagogical and Social Assistance for Children (APSAC) FICE-Bulgaria is the lead organization to implement the project in partnership with FICE-Serbia. The project includes translation and adaptation of the PRIDE program, multiplier training for PRIDE trainers, and spreading information about the program among the professional community and clients.
The parts of PRIDE that are used in Bulgaria are family assessment, preservice training and the 14-step PRIDE Model of Practice.
Eleven organizations (from eight towns) that are providers of social services are included in training. PRIDE trainers and their teams are implementing the program in their practice, directly working with the candidates for foster and adoptive families. The organizations are: Complex for social services for children and families, Ludogorie; Isperih SOS Villages Bulgaria; Center for Community Support, Radomir; Animus Association Foundation, Sofia; Agapedia Bulgaria Foundation, Sophia; Complex for Social Services for Children and Families “Equilibrium,” Ruse; Center for Community Support, Varna; Complex for Social Services for Children and Families, Plovdiv; Association New Life – Nova Zagora, Nova Zagora; Samaritans Association, Stara Zagora; Association for Pedagogical and Social Assistance for Children FICE-Bulgaria, Sofia.
Currently, 82 candidates for foster and adoptive parents are participating in the PRIDE training groups.
The PRIDE project is still in realization. The activities are planned to be finalized at the end of 2012. Concerning this, there are still no changes at national level. The Agency for Social Assistance and the State Agency for Child Protection support the project. As a leading organization APSAC FICE-Bulgaria regularly organizes and holds meetings and seminars to present the program and share information among professionals.
Zdrava Vodenicharova,
PRIDE Project Manager, Association for Pedagogical and Social Assistance for Children FICE-Bulgaria, office@fice-bulgaria.org