On 16 July, a joint letter was sent to Ms Natalia Efremova, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy and National Coordinator for the European Child Guarantee in Bulgaria. The letter, submitted on behalf of Eurochild, the Amalipe Centre, Integro Association, Equilibrium, Concordia Bulgaria, the National Network for Children (NNC), Cedar Foundation, and Code Participation Foundation, proposes the creation of an advisory mechanism. This mechanism would involve organisations working with the Roma community, field and community specialists, educational and health mediators, as well as local structures to support the implementation of the European Child Guarantee.
We believe that such a mechanism would enhance the quality of the Guarantee’s implementation in Bulgaria. It would allow practitioners working directly with children and families most affected by adverse factors to participate. These are organisations with local reach, practical knowledge, and a deep understanding of the needs of vulnerable communities.
Often, representatives of these frontline organisations lack sufficient organisational capacity to engage actively in advisory processes at the level of expert working groups. Establishing an advisory mechanism would enable their specialised expertise to inform policies for those most in need.
Such a mechanism would ensure that policies reflect real needs on the ground, particularly in communities most affected by poverty, discrimination, and social exclusion. Moreover, it would position Bulgaria among the leading European countries in terms of meaningful stakeholder inclusion in social policy processes.
