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EveryChild response to the BBC's 'Bulgaria's abandoned children
The shocking scenes of life for children in Mogilino’s social care home are a stark reminder that reform of institutional childcare in Bulgaria and across Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union still has a very long way to go. What is particularly appalling is that the very worst kind of institution should still exist in an EU member state. A lack of support for vulnerable families, extreme poverty and an over-reliance on Soviet era style institutions as a form of childcare has resulted in a staggering 1.3 million children in institutional care across the region. Just 5% of these children are orphans.
Despite the fact that states, including Bulgaria, are now investing in family-based alternatives to institutional care like fostering, institutions like Mogilino still do exist. One of the main reasons for this is the almost total lack of support for many vulnerable families who feel unable to cope, particularly when their children have disabilities. Often, in Bulgaria and elsewhere in the region, parents feel they have literally no other choice but to relinquish the care of their children to the state.
EveryChild has been campaigning for over 20 years for much more support to be given to vulnerable families to prevent children being abandoned in the first place. We are also currently contributing to the development of a set of UN Standards on childcare. Simply improving conditions in homes like Mogilino’s is not enough. The international community must continue the campaign to end this system altogether so that every child has the chance to grow up in a family environment whatever their circumstances.