Bulgaria Closing All Orphanages

Monday, March 01, 2010

Bulgaria Closing All Orphanages

In radical attempt to fix its child-care system, the Bulgarian government has announced plans to shut down all of its orphanages and homes for disabled children.

Citing past failed attempts to create real change in the current system, the government has set a 15-year deadline for scrapping the old and starting anew.

"According to a new strategy paper approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, the country's 137 communist-era welfare homes for orphans and disabled children will be closed down," the Independent News & Media has reported. "The more than 7 500 children living in such homes will be placed in foster families or adopted to help better integrate them into society."

The government says lack of funding, and lack of "political will" has kept all but the most cosmetic changes from being made at orphanages and group homes. The new plan would give top priority to placing the more than 1,300 disabled children who are currently wards of the state.

Labels: international, orphanages

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