As a result of this, DG ELARG (Barbaso) signed the letter to DG Justice.

Emma Nicholson briefed Rehn

http://audiovisual.europarl.europa.eu/Assetdetail.aspx?id=408d9103-b8d3-4617-b640-f00cd5050d20

http://audiovisual.europarl.europa.eu/Assetdetail.aspx?id=d2adace8-f488-49a9-9402-a37700a729ff

David Cameron’s vow to tear down adoption barriers is at risk

There are concerns that a judge’s remarks have caused a near 50% fall in the number of children being put forward for adoption

Patrick Butler, social policy editor

The Guardian, Tuesday 11 November 2014 10.41 GMT

Judge Sir James Munby said the government’s drive to increase the number of adoptions should not be allowed to break up families unnecessarily.

n adopter parent first tried the adoption for 7 days then the adopter parent abandoned the adopted child of international adoption in Bulgaria

How to be adopter parent just for 7 days?

A case of Mirena Pencheva, a lawyer in Sofia and a chairman of Foundation Chance for each child - an accredited organization for international adoptions in Bulgaria.

How to be adopter parent just for 7 days? An adopter parent first tried the adoption for 7 days then the adopter parent abandoned the adopted child of international adoption in Bulgaria.

http://www.dnes.bg/obshtestvo/2009/10/09/gyrkinia-ni-vyrna-9-godishno-sirache-s-taksi-pisnalo-i.78935 of 8 of October 2009.

Our enduring legacy in Bulgaria

Ark provided a model for foster care - now being rolled out by UNICEF across eight regions

When Ark started its programme in Bulgaria, the country had the highest rate of infant institutionalisation in Europe, with some 15,000 children living in large-scale institutions. It is estimated that only 2-4% of these children are actually orphans.

In 2006, Ark signed a partnership agreement to implement a deinstitutionalisation programme in the municipality of Stara Zagora, home to the highest number of institutionalised children in the country.

This was the first time the government had explicitly committed to the planned closure of an institution and marked a huge breakthrough for Ark and the future of childcare in Bulgaria.

Newington Mom Raises Money To Adopt Third Child With Down Syndrome

Nykki Poole has adopted two children with Down syndrome, Andrew, 4, left, and Bodhi, 2, right. She is seeking to adopt a third from Bulgaria.

Nykki Poole has adopted two children with Down syndrome, Andrew, 4, left,… (STEPHEN DUNN|sdunn@courant.com )

November 29, 2013|By CHRISTOPHER HOFFMAN, Special to The Courant, The Hartford Courant

NEWINGTON — Nykki Poole has done what few others would ever venture.

The provision of social services and childcare services is one of the most successful

instruments in support of children and the family. In recent years the policy of providing

support to children and families has been focused on introducing an entirely new approach to

childcare aimed at prevention, early intervention, support of families and providing a family

or close to family environment to every child. In the context of the continuous reform of care

“Childhood for all”

28 May 2012

The State Agency for Child Protection, the Agency for Social Assistance and Lumos Bulgaria met with the parents of 1252 children with disabilities living in institutions in order to explore their willingness and possibilities to maintain contact with them. The assessment took place within the framework of the project “Childhood for all” aimed at deinstitutionalization of children with disabilities. Such assessment is done for the first time in Bulgaria. During the meetings with the parents, the experts heard hundreds personal stories about the reasons of abandonment, the feeling of guilt, about the secrets kept for years.

Photo: flickr/taschik

k

Supporting deinstitutionalisation: focus on autism

24.01.13

Autism should never be the cause of children being separated from their families. Yet, depressingly, in many Eastern European countries, children diagnosed with autism are separated from their families and placed in institutions because there are no services to support them in their communities. Many children with undiagnosed autism are also placed in institutions because they display challenging behavior. Increasing awareness and developing support for children with autism is therefore critical to ensuring they are not removed from their families and communities. It is also vital to develop community services so children with autism who have been placed in institutions can return home.

As part of our work in Bulgaria, Lumos is supporting professionals working on the State Agency for Child Protection’s ‘Childhood for All’ project, which is overseeing the closure of all institutions for children with disabilities in Bulgaria and securing appropriate placements for the children. The needs of children with autism within this process are specific and is it vital that professionals understand how best to support them. As part of our work on this issue, we recently organized for Dr Iain McClure, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, to deliver a seminar to professionals involved in preparing children from institutions to move back into the community. Dr McClure’s seminar focused on the particular needs of children with autism in the context of the closure of institutions for children with disabilities.

A Lumos spokesperson in Bulgaria said: “The process of moving the children is extremely complicated. These children have spent their entire life in one room in the institution; what lies ahead of them is going to be a tremendous challenge. The preparation of a child with a disorder from the autistic spectrum is specific and will differ from the preparation of a child with sensory impairment or cerebral paralyses. Our responsibility is to be ready to handle this process in the most gentle to the child way”.

Bulgaria

New fit-for-purpose homes for children with disabilities

Bulgaria

Institutionalised children with disabilities in Bulgaria are being moved to modern, specially adapted accommodation and tailored support services made available.

Modern, family-style homes, specifically adapted for children with disabilities.

Comment: Date not sure...

The “Childhood for All” project aims to close 28 institutions for children with severe and complex disabilities and create 194 replacement services. This is a large-scale and complex undertaking and from the outset, the project team have been supported by Lumos. Initially, we supplied additional resources and methodology to make the first detailed assessment of each child’s needs. We then interviewed the childrens’ parents to assess the level to which they were willing and able to reestablish and maintain contact with their child. We are now in the process of assisting with the second assessment of each child to determine whether they should be placed with their family, relatives, in foster care or in one of the new community-based services being established around the country. Eventually Lumos will be involved in preparing each for their new placement.

As this process continues, we are advising the Bulgarian government on the additional steps necessary for deinstitutionalisation to be successful. Creating new services is just a first step. The eventual aim must be to develop these new community-based centres into loving and secure environments where children with disabilities can reach their full potential and participate in the life of the community.

We have now also begun work on “Direction: Family”, the National Action Plan’s second project, which aims to transform eight out of 32 “baby institutions” for children aged 0 to 3 years.

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