National Network for Children presented its proposals concerning the funding from the European Social Fund in the next programming period
The President Rosen Plevneliev called a meeting on economic development and social policies. The head of state is seeking national consensus on strategic objectives that will underlie in the long-term Programme for development of Bulgaria 2020.
At the meeting of the Council for economic development and Social policies to the President the upcoming reforms in the country, the National Strategy for Demographic Development, the European package of measures to promote employment and the EC proposal for the multiannual financial framework were discussed.
The President Rosen Plevneliev presented his proposals for priority funding from the European Social Fund in the next programming period. These include investments in education, fighting poverty, supporting small and medium enterprises, the integration of the labor market and ensuring new workplaces.
The discussion was attended by ministers, MPs, trade union representatives, academics and employers in Bulgaria, civic organizations including the National Network for Children. Executive Director of the NNC, George Bogdanov, presented four concrete proposals for the document concerning the Council for Economic Development and Social Policy:
1) Eradicate child poverty. In Bulgaria child poverty affects 47 % of our kids. It is necessary for us to support parents to overcome this hard situation. This is a problem area that is not supported yet. It is necessary to develop specialized social services in high-risk communities at the area of health, housing, social skills and integration into the labor market. There are no such specialized services yet. These risk communities are not yet covered by our system.
2) Establishment of conditions for development of supported employment. Enabling people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders to be permanently employed in the open labor market. These services offer various types of support such as employment, counseling, provision of aids to facilitate these people in their tasks, specialized training for the work, individual support and supervision …
3) Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty. Development of social economy and social services should be done with increasing pace in the next programming period. this cannot happen without the active participation of NGOs whose mission is to work in poor neighborhoods and vulnerable groups. In this sense, it is important to note the role of NGOs in the development of social economy. It is crucial for the next programming period, organizations to have access to necessary resources to fulfill their mission. This proposal is in the context of administrative reform, the relieving of the administration at national and municipal levels in relation with the extrinsic commitments and services and their delegation. In this sense, civil society will perform its mission of social cohesion and inclusion with the municipal administrations.
4) Development of advanced services in the field of juvenile and child justice. Bulgaria hasn’t started to work at this area yet. Children with behavioral difficulties and children victims of crime need effective services to approbate and develop over the next programming period.
Photo: flickr/Abhi-Sharma
