Child Welfare Reform in Bulgaria – from Institutional to Family-Based Community Care: Engaging with Families, Children and Colleagues?

- Pages 130-136

G. Markova, H. Manolova and M. Hristova

Published: 17 January 2018

Abstract: The authors present the child welfare policy reform and the process of deinstitutionalization of children’s services in Bulgaria. These developments are examined in the context of the country’s transition from a post-totalitarian to a liberal democratic state and from collectivistic to individual-centred practices. Therefore, the implementation of social policy promoting and regulating individualised community-based services faces challenges related to attitudes that support group-oriented and institutional-based care. There are three key contextual barriers to the provision of quality services for children with disability: engaging with the individual client, involving parents, and working in multidisciplinary teams. Clinical social work vignettes are presented to illustrate the above challenges. 

Keywords: Child welfare reform, deinstitutionalization, social policy, multidisciplinary teamwork, parenting, socialism, attitudes towards the state.