Bulgaria

The aim of the Cedar Foundation is to facilitate positive social change in Bulgaria by assisting the provision of quality community-based care for disadvantaged children and young people. They achieve this by working with the state and local governments to create viable means of de-institutionalisation in Bulgaria. They use expert and professional consultants to structure and create models applicable to Bulgaria’s unique characteristics, facilitating training of care givers and personnel currently working in Bulgaria’s orphanages as well as recruiting and training future alternative care staff members.

The Social Activities and Practices Institute Association (SAPI) was established in 2001 by professionals working in the area of social work and social policy. The Institute works in partnership with a number of non-governmental organisations in both Bulgaria and abroad as well as with the government to enhance the national policy for socially disadvantaged people. The organisation focuses on developing community-based services providing real support for the disadvantaged.

For Our Children Foundation is a Bulgarian NGO which works in partnership with children families, communities, local and national authorities, protecting the rights of the child in Bulgaria. They develop contemporary practices and lobby for changes in the policy in order to improve the situation of the most marginalized children.

The Know-how centre was set up to support the governmental project aimed at closing the institutions for children in Bulgaria trough provision of consultancy and research and to generate evidences on DI of children in Bulgaria to the international audience of professionals and policy makers. NHC works with the government to develop effective strategy of DI and Bulgarian expertise to guide the DI projects. It ensures that the process is monitored and the errors in policy and implementation are identified and resolved.

The National Network for Children Association aims to ensure the rights and welfare of children and families in Bulgaria. They carry out advocacy and lobbying campaigns in partnership with NGOs, institutions and individuals and also with the support of the children themselves. Its team of experts produces informed policies for children and families. They also actively work to consolidate the non-governmental organisations working in the field of children and families, while improving communication to exchange experiences and good practices between them.