Zoya Sokolova, director of Sofia's Assen Zlatarov home for children deprived of parental care, decided to step down from office after “immense pressure” from the municipality, Sokolova told The Sofia Echo on April 8 2008. “I have nothing new to offer the municipality in terms of my management concept and I have decided to resign as of April 17 2008,” she said.

“I think that 14 years spent as a director is more than enough. I will remain working in the same field and will continue helping the new director if needed.”  

As The Sofia Echo wrote on March 21 2008, Sokolova was dragged into a conflict with Sofia municipality over the model she had chosen to apply in the home. The model was introduced by the Step By Step (SBS) foundation in partnership with the Dutch Spirit foundation.

The work of the two NGOs in the home started in 1994. It has often been described by state institutions as an example of how children’s homes could be organised. The model features dividing children into small autonomous groups as opposed to having all children under the the supervision of all teachers.

In March 2007, municipalities in Bulgaria were given the right to own and manage children’s homes in their districts. This was when Sokolova's problems with Sofia municipality appeared. On February 29 2008, Sokolova was told to stop applying the Spirit model, which was described as “not working in Bulgaria”, and present a new plan for the home’s development without SBS. The latter was asked to leave the home.

The reason was that the contract SBS had with the home had expired at the end of 2007. “I believe in the Spirit model and I don't have anything else to offer, so I might as well leave,” Sokolova told The Sofia Echo on March 17 2008.

On April 8 2008, Biser Spirov, from SBS, told a news conference that SBS had already left the home. “We had to comply with the law and leave the home together with the eight staff members whose salaries SBS used to cover.”

According to the municipality's strategy, NGOs will be let into the homes as outside suppliers. For the purpose tenders will be organised for each home including Assen Zlatarov. “We will apply. We have a project ready, but we have no information when the tender will be held,” Spirov said. SBS was going to present the same model but with some changes.

“Letting NGOs into the home will not solve all the problems. The municipality should have a general view on how it wants to develop children’s homes.” 

Gert Klijn, Spirit’s project manager, said that Sofia municipality did not even bother asking Spirit about the issue. “It is a pity that all this experience will have to end because the municipality is afraid of publicity on the subject. They asked Sokolova to resign to show that they have the power and have taken some actions. This is not the answer.”