BULGARIA TO ENCOURAGE CHILD BIRTH THROUGH NEW SOCIAL POLICIES

09:22 Fri 23 Jun 2006

Pregnant women, who might decide to leave their children for adoption, would be accomodated for up to six months in special new social facilities.

The creation of such establishments is part of the national strategy for social aid, approved by the government, Darik Radio reported.

Mothers would be able to meet experts and receive psychological and legal advice in the new social facilities.

Single parents would also get better social aid chances. They would be eligible for state financial aid until children graduate from high school.

The strategy would also offer stimuli for unemployed Bulgarians to increase their qualification and find new employment opportunities.

New centres for social aid would offer care for people with disabilities during the working week. The aim of these institutions would be to facilitate the integration of these people in society by making them spend as much time as possible away from their families.

Comments

Comments by Christine Britsas - 17:07 23 Jun 2006
	What is being done to help the thousands of orphaned children who currently reside in institutions throughout Bulgaria. These children stand a very slim chance of ever being adopted domestically - and yet, there are thousands of International families who are waiting to adopt a child from Bulgaria. Is there a plan in place to help these children? Since the efforts to boost Bulgaria's demographics were introduced, the International adoption process has completely slowed to a grinding halt - leaving thousands of Bulgarian orphans at the mercy of a system that is already struggling to maintain a quality of life for these infants.