A total of 315 foster families currently have no children placed with them, revealing significant unused capacity within the system, said Alexander Milanov from the National Association for Foster Care (NAFC) at a conference marking the Day of Foster Care and Foster Parents (October 25). The event was organized by the NAFC.
In some regions of the country, almost 40% of foster families have no children placed with them, Milanov added. According to him, there are also cities where the number of foster families is insufficient. For example, in Sofia there are 29 families, while around 400 are needed, Milanov noted. In his view, this shows a territorial imbalance. There is a cumbersome procedure for transferring children from one region to another, he added.
Across the country, there are a total of 1,582 foster parents, of whom 1,578 are professional and four are voluntary, Milanov further pointed out. He also cited data indicating that 15% of Bulgarians would consider becoming foster parents, 68% are firmly opposed, and 40% said they would entrust their child to foster care if something were to happen to them, Milanov said.
At present, around 4,000 children in Bulgaria are deprived of parental care, said Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivan Krastev. Of these, only 850 have been approved for full adoption, Krastev said, adding that nearly 1,500 children find support and love in foster families. Another 4,000 children are cared for by relatives or extended family, he noted.
“We must think about how every child can grow up in a family and work towards that goal. This is the shared understanding among all institutions in the system, so that every child can find love and care,” Krastev said.
In less than 20 years, Bulgaria has made huge progress in child care, but this should not make us complacent, the Deputy Minister emphasized. He also announced the start of a campaign to inspire new people to become foster parents. “This is the only way to continue deinstitutionalization and ensure that no child grows up outside a family environment,” Krastev said.
Not only the foster family but also the child must be carefully prepared for what lies ahead, in order to shorten the period of difficulty and adaptation, said Eva Zhecheva from the Ombudsman’s Office. In her view, families must have a supportive environment that understands and responds to the child’s needs while protecting their rights and interests.
“Foster care is the first form of protection, but it must be temporary,” said Mariana Krasteva from the Bulgarian Association of Adopters. “The goal is for children to find their permanent home, one that supports them and gives them the stability they need to grow and develop,” Krasteva added. 315 Foster Families Have No Children Placed with Them, Revealing “Significant Unused Capacity” within System THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-10-25 14:56:10 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
