December 2011 – January 2012

CONTENTS NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF NNC Commissioner for children in Wales: Success for NNC: Well done, NNC

Our children watch better TV NNC at School of Politics

Street children in

National Network for Children approved 100 member organization

NNC in the General Assembly

NEWS FROM THE NETWORK MEMBERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS A charity event raised over 50 000 leva

Оrganisations called for putting an end to the detainment of refugees and children

Karin dom presents the municipal project “Early intervention”

Lumos foundation started a project for people with intellectual disabilities

A group for sharing god practices

INSTITUTION AND CHILDREN IN BULGARIA Introduction of health education in schools

The maternity allowances stay 240

Public councils will control schools

55 “Tzar Simeon” str 12 family centres are being built in 1202 region Mihaela Popova [email protected] Bulgaria Scholarships for children with tel./fax: 02/9888207 www.nmd.bg prominent gifts

THEME ISSUE

Success for NNC: Our children watch better TV

On 25th October this year the Council for electronic media adopted officially criteria for assessment of media content aimed for children. In other words, this means that there are a number of requirements with which the authors of media products should bear in mind when it’s about children. The document produced in partnership with the State agency for child protection and consulted with the National Network for Children (NNC), “Parents” association and PIC foundation protects the interests of two main groups of children – those who participate and those who watch. The criteria about what content is risk for the physical, psychic, moral and/or the social development of the children are described in a detailed way.

The development of similar criteria for content aimed for children was required following an amendment in the TV and Radio Act following the NNC campaign against the involvement of children in the TV reality Family.

At the end of 2009 and at the beginning of 2010 NNC united over 130 civil organizations together with parents, teachers, doctors, psychologists, social workers and other specialists against the participation of children in reality formats for adults. 11 press-conferences were organized in the whole country during which the risks from inclusion of children in similar formats were presented by child welfare experts. A special web-site was started together with an on-line petition and groups in forums and social networks. Despite the fact that the TV programme broadcasted in the spring last year included children, the acute public reaction followed by the NNC campaign led to a series of discussions in the parliamentary commission responsible for the media and the civil society. As a result, the TV and radio Act was amended and a special focus on protection of children from negative content and the Council for electronic media (CEM) and the State agency for child protection were obliged to develop criteria for such content. These were officially approved on 25th October with which the NNC campaign for protection of children’s rights in the media finished successfully. The National Network for Children would like to thank the members of the parliamentary commission responsible for media and civil society, the experts from the CEM and the SACP as well as all supporters and partners of the campaign. We commit to follow closely the issue and to work for the protection of children’s rights with regard to media content usage and their participation in media products.

Bogdanov, Executive director of the National Network for News from the Office Children. The members of the National Network for Children work in 35 places in 26 regions in the whole of NNC country. They specialize in all spheres of child welfare –

from family support and family policy through education and Commissioner for children in Wales: Well done, NNC health to protection of children’s rights in juvenile justice. The National Network for Children received official A detailed map with the addresses of congratulations from the Commissioner on children’s issues in all organizations and the spheres in Wales with regard to the successful campaign for improvement which they are working is published at of school toilets in Bulgaria. This happened during the annual the network site. meeting of the European children’s network Eurochild which took place at the beginning of December in Cardiff. Within the NNC in the General Assembly conference, representatives of NNC took part in the thematic NNC took part in a round table about the Children’s Act draft working group Family during which was discussed the organised by the Union of Democratic Forces at the General development of a special document about deinstitutionalization Assembly on 12 January 2012. The statement of NNC about presenting good European practices including Bulgaria. the current debate whether the state takes over parental Following the creation of the document Eurochild will lobby in functions was presented as well as the principal position of the front of the EU institutions for it to become part of the EU official network on the draft law. policy.

NNC at School of Politics News from the Network Maria Brestnichka took part in the first course of “Dimiter Panitsa” School of Politics 2011/2012. During the course there were members and other meetings with Rosen Plevneliev, Boiko Borisov, Sergei Ignatov, etc. NNC raised the issues about children being a national organizations priority, fighting child’s poverty and the connection between A charity event raised over 50 000 leva secondary and high-school and universities in Bulgaria. “For our children” foundation organizes the charity event “Evening of the virtues” for Street children in Bulgaria third consecutive year. A patron of this th On 5 December Ivo Bojkov and Maria Brestnichka took part in a year’s event was Kristalina Georgieva. The seminar about people on the street and the social exclusion sum of 50 550 leva was raised in the organized by Sofia Municipality and the French Embassy. The presence of show stars, ministers, French practice for working with people on the street and the businessmen, partners and friends of the social inclusion was presented at the seminar as well as foundation. possibilities for working on the theme in Bulgaria. NNC raised the The cause of this year’s charity auction was raising funds for the need for prevention of children going to the street and following development of a Children’s House for young children with severe the cases when children are taken from the street. A special disabilities up to 3 years old as well as abandoned newborns. These attention was put on the need to change public attitudes towards children could hardly be adopted or placed in foster care due to their begging children and the need to inform people how to make a difficult health situation. referral when they see a begging child. Оrganisations called for putting an end to the detainment of National Network for Children approved 100 member refugees and children organization Bulgaria should put an end to the detainment of refugees and children 58 000 children and 13 000 families were supported by the seeking asylum as well as detainment of children for immigration NNC members for 12 months. The National Network for reasons. This was called by a group of non-governmental Children already unites 100 non-governmental organizations who sent a joint letter to the Ministry of Justice, Ministry organsiations working with and for children and families. of Interior and other state bodies and European institutions who are This became clear following the meeting of the responsible for development of policy for refugees. The letter is part of organization Governing Board which approved the 100 the campaign of the International coalition against detainment which is organisation for a full member of the network. „The network supported by the European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) of 100 organisations supporting children and families is a proof and Amnesty International. that in Bulgaria there are working organizations who every day face poverty, misery, hunger and violence”, shared Georgi

Bogdanov, Executive director of the National Network for

Children. The members of the National Network for Children

Karin dom presents the municipal project “Early intervention” Institutions and The municipality is a partner of the programme “Early intervention for children in Bulgaria prevention of abandonment of

children with disabilities”, which is Introduction of health education in schools implemented for a second year by “Karin dom” foundation. The social service would be developed in a Community Centre. Karin dom started the programme at the end of 2010. It’s aimed at parents of babies and young children from their birth up to 4 years old, who have health problems or are at risk of development of a disability. The services at “Early intervention” are based on the The students from 1 till 12 grade will also study health education. family-based approach. This is envisaged by draft amendments in the legislative framework . prepared by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth and Lumos foundation started a project for people with intellectual Ministry of Health which will be submitted for review in the General disabilities Assembly by the end of the year, announced the deputy-minister of health d-r Kiril Dobrev. They will be part of the Law for school and pre-school education. The aim is children and young people to have the necessary culture which to help them protect their health and to be tolerant towards the people with different diseases. The health education will include topics such as harms of using drugs, prevention of HIV and AIDS and healthy eating. The maternity allowances stay 240 For now the minimum maternity allowance won’t be increased from 240 to 270 leva which were the original plans of the government for next year. This became clear from the words of the social minister In December 2011 representatives of the British organization Change Totio Mladenov. However, the period which is used as a basis for visited Bulgaria. Known in the UK as the first organization which 15 calculation of the maternity allowance remains 24 months rather 18, years ago started working with people with mental disabilities, they he added. visited Bulgaria in order to start a two-year project in partnership with The National Network for Children considers these anti-crisis in their “Lumos” foundation for empowerment of people with intellectual essence measures to be completely contradictory to the difficulties and their access to information which affects them. commitments for fighting poverty and birth increase policies. The new regulations will deprive mothers from the possibility to receive Deinstitutionalisation of children decent and adequate maternity allowance. A memorandum of understanding among the municipalities of Varna, Public councils will control schools Provadia, Dolni Chiflik and “Lumos” foundation was signed on 18th They will monitor the finances and the work of the director as well as January. It envisaged joint actions under the national strategy “Vision the admission of children. The educational ministry will try to for deinstitutionalization of children in the Republic of Bulgaria”. introduce more effective public control over the financial activities of The aim of the partnership is to support the process of the schools. It’s envisaged that this will happen through public deinstitutionalization of children’s homes as well as to provide councils which will make statements about the distribution of the appropriate health, social and educational services to who meet the school budget and the amount of the capital costs for the respective needs of the children and their families. The Memorandum of kindergarten or school. The council will also monitor the director’s understanding is concluded for a term of 10 years. report about the delegated budget. The new moments will be part of the new school education act. The National Network for Children A group for sharing god practices welcomes the efforts of the Ministry of education, youth and science A Google group for sharing good practices regarding the professional to introduce mechanisms for public control over the school activities. inclusion of children and youth at situations of social exclusion was The development of public councils and the extension of their rights activated. You can subscribe in and share your experience through and responsibilities is only the first step. A lot of additional efforts are uploading various documents or making a description. Here is a link required if they are to turn into good working and useful to the school to the group. More information could be obtained from here. structures.

The school itself represented by the director and the teachers Еurostat: 1,565 million Bulgarians are poor should open for a dialogue and change which go beyond the The poverty in Bulgaria is more acute in families with 3 children traditional mechanisms for discussion and decision-making in the and more. current moment in order for the parents and the other external The poverty line in Bulgaria is 295 leva average per person per participants to turn into committed, competent and respected month. There are 1, 565 million people who live under this partners of the school. threshold announced yesterday the National Statistical Institute quoting data sent and confirmed by Eurostat. The poor population 12 family centres are being built in Stara Zagora region in the country is approximately 21 %. The quota will double to 40,8

A total of 12 family-type placement centres and one protected % if the social transfers – unemployment benefits, pensions, etc. house will be built in Stara Zagora region as part of the are taken out. implementation of the national strategy “Vision for The poverty in Bulgaria is more acute in families with 3 children deinstitutionalization of children in the Republic of Bulgaria”. The and more, the lone parents and households consisting of one plan of the State Agency for Child protection covers a 10 years adult. 65,2 % of the families with more children are poor as well as period which started in 2010 and is aimed to closure of the homes 61,6 % of the lone pensioners over 65 years. The families with two for children with disabilities. in Stara Zagora region, these are the parents and one child are least poor- only 13,7 %. institutions in Petrovo village and Sladak kladenets. The end goal is systematic closure of all large-scale institutions for children. Is there decrease of birth rate or baby boom in the country

This is also the policy of the European Union – decentralization During the third quarter, 17 014 babies were born in Bulgaria and allocation of resources in the regions. which is with 266 less than the same period of 2010 and 3516 less than 2009. Two years ago the country registered a baby-boom 16 000 children drop-out of school per year with the born over 63 600 babies however the following year there Over 43 000 teachers will receive additional qualification within a was a sharp reduction with the born 67 500 babies. European project in 2012. There are 15 000 -16 000 children who drop out of school every year. This was announced by the Five Bulgarian children will sing at the Olympic games in

Chairperson of the Union of the Bulgarian teachers at KNSB London

Yanka Takeva. She points out that due to this reason one of the Five Bulgarian children will sing at the Olympic and Paralympics main priorities in the secondary education for 2012 should be games during the summer in London. They will be part of the reduction of the number of students who drop out of school. vocal group “Voices of youth music” who will part of the ceremonies and the accompanying events of the most important Scholarships for children with prominent gifts sports event for the year. Children with prominent gifts will receive scholarships in the amount of 135 leva and one-off financial support. The Council of

Ministers approved amendments in the Ordinance for conditions Foster care and the order for protection of children with prominent gifts. This is following a decision of the Council of Ministers in 2011 about Foster a child. Create future change of legislative acts in which the amount of the payments is Mobiltel launched officialy the big campaign in support of the defined by the minimum wage in the country. foster care “Foster a child. Create future”. It’s implemented in

partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, National The children and the Network for Children, Bulgarian Donors Forum and the State Agency for Child Protection. families in the media From the beginning of January 2012, people who are interested in

foster care could submit applications in the “Social assistance” directorate in the respective town or city. The first hundred 20% of the Bulgarian children are bullied by classmates families, who are willing to take a child deprived of parental care 20 % of the children in Bulgaria were subject of a real or virtual bulling of at their home, and are approved as foster parents will receive classmates according to the results of additional financial support from Mobiltel. The support will be in the European research “Children of the the amount of 100 leva per month within a year which will cover EU on-line” carried out last year and announced yesterday. part of the parents’ costs. The support will be doubled for the Within a year we saw three heavy cases of aggression. people who are willing to look after a child with disability or siblings.