Seminar on project "Libraries from Sliven region - intermediaries in providing foster care services" was held on July 17, 2012
A training seminar on the "Libraries from Sliven region - intermediaries in providing "Foster Care” service" was held from 9.30 a.m. in the Deva complex. Rumen Stoilov – a deputy mayor of Sliven Municipality of Economic Development portfolio, programs, projects and international cooperation welcomed the participants at the beginning of the seminar in brief. In his speech he expressed the support of the municipality for the implementation of this important social project. Moderator of the training were Genka Ivanova - President of the Initiative Commitment Foundation /ICF/ and Hristina Petkova - coordinator of project "Local development model of social service "Foster care " of the Initiative Commitment Foundation /ICF/.
The aim of the project “Libraries from Sliven region - intermediaries in providing foster care services” is to build capacity and promote and develop social service "Foster Care" in smaller settlements through the target libraries working on the "Global Libraries -Bulgaria" program in Sliven region.
The project is implemented by "Sava Dobroplodni" Regional Library-Sliven in partnership with the Initiative Commitment Foundation /ICF/-Sliven, and it is funded by the small grants program of "Global Libraries - Bulgaria" sponsored by "Bill and Melinda Gates” Foundation / USA /.
Foster care is a social service that allows reducing the number of children left in social institutions. Foster care parents look after a child in their own home for certain period of time - depending on the child's needs and capabilities.
Bulgaria is one of the few countries in Europe which are lagging behind in terms of foster care. At the end of 2011 the total number of social institutions dealing with children and young people in Bulgaria is 127. The total number of children left in them is 6226. Results for March 31, 2012 are: foster care families look after 1024 children. According to data from a large statistical study about 2,700 children annually have been left by their parent in social institutions.
In Sliven region operate more than 10 institutions dealing with children and youth. Some of them are in communities in which libraries work on program "Global Libraries - Bulgaria". Libraries, with their technical equipment and qualified in providing information services staff, can become effective agents for the provision of "Foster care" service in the region.
More than 50 librarians from the libraries of Sliven region took part in the training on the project "Libraries from Sliven region - intermediaries in providing foster care services”. They had the opportunity to get acquainted in details with the service, with the formation of target groups, with planning and conducting educational campaigns, service providers, with the legislation and the requirements for candidates applying for foster parents, with the necessary application documents, with financial support of the needs of child, and the work of foster families etc. Together with the team of Initiative Commitment Foundation /ICF/ a schedule was made for organizing information meetings at libraries in the region for potential foster parents from different groups.
The project is a friendly helping hand of partnership to institutions directly involved with these issues. Through extensive explanatory work, in which libraries from Sliven region will take part, many more families will become foster parents and much faster children at risk will be derived from social institutions and will start living in normal families.