An open letter from National Network for Children
National Network for Children has sent an open letter to the President, Prime Minister and members of the Council of Ministers outlining the most urgent tasks for the caretaker government related to the welfare and rights of children.
Since 1992, the child population of Bulgaria has decreased twice. Bulgaria is not a place where people calmly give birth and raise children. Key reasons for this are policies that are not made with their impact on children in mind and poor coordination between institutions. This is especially valid in the context of a political, health, economic and social crisis, when topics related to children are blurred and the claim that children are a priority remains only on paper and without real content.
About 1,000,000 children live in Bulgaria today. At a time of economic and energy challenges, an ongoing war in Ukraine, an approaching new wave of COVID-19 and a public crisis of confidence, responsibility for ensuring the best opportunities for children’s lives and development is on the caretaker government.
National Network for Children has identified 13 urgent topics that must not remain stagnant and in regress in the next three months:
- Continuing work on creating a National Strategy for the child
- Completion of the first draft of the National Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and Pediatric Care (2021 – 2030)
- Assignment of a complete analysis of the needs for the creation of a national children’s hospital, on which the assignment for the construction of the hospital to be based
- Finalizing changes to Ordinance 26 for the provision of obstetric care, which will lead to the prevention of hundreds of cases of illness and disability in newborn babies
- Completion of efforts to provide food for medical use to children and young people
- Continue efforts to prioritize early childhood development in national policy
- Finalization and management of the National Plan for the implementation of the European Child Guarantee
- Update of the Action Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy for Deinstitutionalization of Child Care
- Start of work in the Ministry of Justice on updating the draft Law on educational measures against juvenile perpetrators of crimes or administrative violations
- Taking all the necessary measures to ensure attendance at schools in the new academic year and ensure maximum scope and effective learning process in all forms of education
- Ensuring access to medical care and effective inclusion of displaced refugee children from Ukraine and third countries in the educational process
- Guaranteeing the implementation of the Coordination Mechanism for working with unaccompanied refugee children
- Continue active communication with civil organizations and support the work of the Council for the Development of Civil Society
We emphasize that the well-being of children in Bulgaria is not the task of one government and one party. Ensuring prosperity requires a comprehensive view of the future beyond the current cabinet’s remit. It is necessary to ensure continuity and build on the efforts already made on the various topics. We believe that the caretaker government will be able to make the necessary transition to a new regular government and parliament, which will upgrade and develop policies for children and in support of families, so that Bulgaria becomes a better place to raise children.
