Deinstitutionalization perspective
EU Structural Funds as an instrument
for social innovation:
Bulgaria in action
Zagreb, 24 October 2013
The presentation will include:
How the reform has started
Who was involved
First steps
Main outcomes and challenges
Lessons learned
The context (2009):
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Institutions for children are a part of the difficult heritage
INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON THE
TERRITORY OF THE COUNTRY.
INSUFFICIENT FAMILY FINANCIAL RESOURCES, WHICH OFTEN LEADS TO SOCIAL
EXCLUSION OF THE FAMILIES AND PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN IN INSTITUTION.
LACK OF DEVELOPED SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO
INSTITUTIONAL CARE.
OVERWHELMING MEDICAL MODEL TO THE CHILD DISABILITY ACCORDING TO
WHICH THE INSTITUTION OFFERS THE BEST CARE FOR CHILDREN
CHANGED MODELS OF FAMILY BEHAVIOR WHICH LEAD TO OUT OF WEDLOCK
BIRTHS AND SINGLE PARENTS.
Unsolved during the past years problems that led to “reforms” and
“restructuring”, which are often understood as a building refurbishment and
do not lead to a significant change
UNSIFICIENT COORDINATION BETWEEN THE RESPONSIBLE STATE INSTITUTIONS.
Stakeholders involvement:
10 years experience
EC support
Political will for reforms
CSOs agenda - both international and Bulgarian
BANSKO 2009
The beginning of the reform - NATIONAL STRATEGY: “VISION
FOR DEINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILDREN
“The DI is a process of replacement of the institutional
childcare with community-based family or close to family
environment care, which is not limited only to taking
children out of institutions. This is a process of
preventing placements of children in institutions, creation
of new opportunities for children and families to receive
support in the community and is done on many levels”
ALL PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS AIMED AT DI AND
PROVISION OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES FINANCED BY
THE EC AND/OR THE NATIONAL BUDGET ARE REGULATED BY
THIS POLITICAL DOCUMENT.
The National Strategy:
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE DOCUMENT IS TO GUARANTEE THE RIGHT OF
CHILDREN TO FAMILY ENVIRONMENT AND ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE AND SERVICES
ACCORDING TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
1) LEGAL REGULATION, PROVISION OF FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES FOR A
WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY BASED CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES TAKING INTO
CONSIDERATION THE GOOD PRACTICES AND APPLYING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES;
2) RAISING THE CAPACITY OF THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM BY CLARIFICATION
AND EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
CHILD PROTECTION BODIES, SERVICE PROVIDERS AND ENSURING AN ADEQUATE
PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY FOR THE EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF THE SYSTEM;
3) CLOSURE OF 137 INSTITUTIONS FOR A PERIOD OF 15 YEARS FROM THE
ADOPTION OF THIS DOCUMENT;
4) NOT ALLOWING THE PLACEMENT AND RAISING OF CHILDREN FROM 0 TO 3 YEARS IN
RESIDENTIAL CARE OF ANY TYPE AFTER THE END OF THE REFORM.
Action plan - 2010
Complicated operational document (50 p.)
The Action Plan consists of two parts:
 Part One: specific steps for the implementation of several
deinstitutionalisation projects covering the Homes for Medical
and Social Care for Children (HMSCC), the Homes for
Children with Disabilities (HCMR, HCPD) and the Homes for
Children Deprived of Parental Care (HCDPC), and the Project
for the Development of Foster Care and Project for the Career
Development of Social Workers
 Part Two: specific measures and activities, aimed at
integrated complex policy for children and families and
amendments in the sectoral policies.
Action plan - 2010
The objectives of the Action Plan in the implementation of the
Policy Document are:
1. To develop a system of family-based and community-based services
across the country, which shall exclude the necessity of the
existence of specialised child-care institutions;
2. To close down in a systematic way all classical-type boarding childcare institutions in Bulgaria thus ensuring the provision of long-term
or short-term placement in a family-type care for every child;
3. To develop the legal and regulatory framework necessary for the
support of the transition towards the community-based and familybased care;
4. To improve the effectiveness of the care system for vulnerable
children and their families.
The Instruments:
 ESF, through OP Human Resources Development - funding
for a wide range of social services for children and families at
risk;
 ERDF, through OP Regional Development - targeted support
via two grant schemes („Support for renovation and
modernization of state healthcare and medical institutions in
urban agglomerations” and “Support for deinstitusionalization of
social institutions providing care for children in risk"
 Rural Development Programme - Measure 321 “Main services
for the population and the economy in the rural area”;
 Financing from the state budget for all specialized institutions
mentioned in the documents and social services recognized as
delegated state activity, introducing the principle “money follow
the child”.
 Other Donors – UNICEF, Lumus Foundation, OAK
Foundation.
First projects:
Project targeting 24 Children with Disabilities “Childhood for all” - 2010
Project for 8 baby institutions (out of 32) - 2011
Project for foster care - 2011
Project for reforming SAA - 2011
Regional planning project – 2011
Capacity building project - 2012
The “unique” EU funding model – crosscutting between
ERDF, ESF, RDF
Management of the process:
High level inter-ministerial working group,
managed by the minister of the EU funds,
special raptor - SACP
Cross-sectoral management of the first projects
Expert group for coordination – (ad hoc)
Regional development unites – the most
important regional authorities
Targets:
Projects aims:
 Development of services which shall provide care in
family and close to family environment for 7 150(by
31.12.2010) children and young people.
 Development of services which shall prevent
placement in specialised institutions of about 2 000
children each year.
100 000 000 euros for 4 years!
New 3000 working places for the first 4 years!
Legal frameworks amendments – child rights act,
social inclusion act, juvenile justice reform.
Main challenges:
Securing of good, effective and coordinated management of projects
and decision-making in order to provide the most adequate
decisions.
European operational programs inflexibility!.
The main part of the reforms is related with changing stereotypes.
Significant risk is reproduction of old models in new services.
The forcing of the reforms due to strong public feelings, the pressure
for quick actions, the striving to show progress in front of influential
outside factors etc. also represents risk.
Legal reforms – systems, quality, prevention mechanisms, etc.
Political changes.
Lessons learned:
More investments in the people – decisionmakers and experts in the state institutions
Ensuring maximum flexibility
More investments in evidance-based analyses
and researches
More investments in the coordination
Starting with legal changes!?
Better data collection.
More important:
It is about leaders and commitment.
Don’t underestimate the coordination – between funding
instruments, policies, etc.
Involve everybody
NB: it is impossible everyone to be happy, it is important
the children interest to be the leading one.
For Bulgaria now the issue is not “shall we do it” but
“how we do it”.
First steps – next steps.
From such reform benefits not only the children in the
institutions – focus on prevention and enabling legal
framework.
CSOs coalition – “Childhood 2025”
Thank you for your attention!
www.bcnl.org
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