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Update on Bulgaria's Abandoned Children
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Last week on the Cutting Edge Program SBS screened the heart breaking documentary Bulgaria's Abandoned Children, prompting many viewers to voice their concern. Carolyn Hardy CEO of UNICEF Australia has kindly provided us with an update.
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' When the documentary aired in the UK it shocked audiences in Bulgaria and in the UK and has provided a crucial catalyst to pressure government and demand that urgent action be taken. Following this outcry, UNICEF drew together key stakeholders working in the Bulgarian child protection system, including government representatives and an alliance of non-governmental organisations. A government-endorsed plan of action was developed with the purpose of making rapid improvements in the institution.
This emergency intervention in Mogilino is now providing immediate care for the children. In addition, an assessment process led by a team of highly-skilled child welfare experts and medical staff is identifying alternative long-term care for each child. UNICEF is fundraising for the project and working to make dramatic improvements for children living in Mogilino.' Carolyn Hardy - Chief Executive Officer UNICEF Australia.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Bulgaria is the poorest country in the European Union, with 40 per cent of children living below the poverty line. There are almost 9,000 children living in 145 institutions across the country. These homes offer inadequate care and hopelessly poor conditions. One third of the children are under the age of three, and each year they are joined by more children: in 2006 over 2,500 children were newly placed in institutions.
UNICEF IN BULGARIA
UNICEF’s work in Bulgaria includes studies and research, policy dialogue, advocacy and modelling, alongside a programme of service delivery. At national level, UNICEF strives to put children’s rights at the forefront of the political agenda. At a regional level, UNICEF develops the capacity of district governments or municipalities and their child protection programmes. To promote best practise, UNICEF identifies successful models of work in child protection, development and participation with a view to scaling up activities.
BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT
In the context of economic hardship families can feel unable to cope. Just 6 per cent of institutionalised children in Bulgaria are genuine orphans. Most are placed in homes due to social reasons such as poverty, failings in care or violence against the child. Significant effort has been invested in changing the old social protection system and developing modern, community-based services in support of children and their families but the process has been very slow, hampered by insufficient budget provision. Consequently, the old institutional child-care system continues to exist today. Responsibility for these homes has been de-centralised and left to local municipalities who lack expertise, trained staff and funding when planning and implementing services for children.
Children are often placed in institutionalised care at birth and spend their whole childhood in various homes across Bulgaria. Approximately 40 per cent of children remain in an institution for more than 3 years. Standards of care in these institutions are extremely poor and living conditions are substandard, lacking the most basic facilities. Research shows that children growing up in this environment fall behind in their physical, intellectual, social and emotional advancement: every three months spent in an institution causes a one month delay in a child’s overall development. 
PROJECT PROPOSAL
An action plan to improve the situation at the institution for children in Mogilino consists of the following major steps:
1. An individual assessment of the conditions and needs of every child, performed by a multi-disciplinary team of experts. Individual care plans for every child will be developed based on their assessment.
2. Provision of specialised care in the institution during the process of closure, anticipated to take at least 6 months.
3. Assessment of the infrastructure and services for children in the nearest major town, Rousse, with the objective of referring some of the children to alternative care.
4. Support to the Child Protection Department in the region of Rousse for work with the children and their families.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Individual Assessments
UNICEF will select and appoint a multi-disciplinary expert team, including a paediatrician, child psychologist, social worker and speech-therapist to individually assess the children at Mogilino over a three month period. The team will be run by a co-ordinator and weekly supervision and support will be offered. The same team will be involved in the provision of care and services for the children after they leave the institution.
To find the best means of care, the children will be assessed on multiple criteria including; important events in the child’s life, contact with parents or other relatives, health status, physical development and mobility, speech and communication, cognitive development and intellect, emotional and behavioural development, self-awareness and socialisation, personal hygiene, feeding, ability to dress themselves, potential for development and understanding of sexuality.
Provision of Specialist Care
The children at Mogilino will be provided with day-to-day assistance, improved protection and supervision until they are ready to be moved away from the institution. Health specialists, including paediatricians and dentists as well as a special needs teacher and art-therapist, will provide this care and some team members may also be involved with the children’s assessments. Nurses will carry out all necessary treatment, including care for children with bed-sores.
There are neither community based services to support children nor adequate medical care in the region of Mogilino so specialists will need to be attracted from the nearest towns. The team will be in place for six to eight months and will be managed by a social-worker with the children’s daily routine led by the special needs teacher, art therapist and psychologist.
The children living in Mogilino will already have begun to benefit from UNICEF’s emergency plan. With more humane and appropriate standards of care, the children’s mental and physical conditions will rapidly improve as will their social and motor skills. Each child will receive careful treatment and an assessment that will put their interests first. Ultimately the project will ensure a smooth transition of the children into more suitable forms of care and the closure of one of the worst institutions for children in Bulgaria.
Related Links
UNICEF Australia
European Union
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Comments (16)
The teenager there
I also cannot stop thinking about the teenager waiting for her mother to return for her. Has anything positive happened in this girl's life since the documentary has been aired
28 May 2008 16:25 AEST
From: Sydney
They suffer the agony of the unloved
It was so hard to drag myself back to the world of such huge fortune that I inhabit. I have cried for hours and still feel gutted at the devastatingly shocking lives these young, unloved, neglected, abused children must daily endure. I was shocked into a kind of numb horror, then heaving sobs, I will never lose the images of those shrunken, starved bodes as long as I have breath. I longed to just take them in my arms - starved of love and gentle touch theirs is true and absolute poverty.
28 May 2008 16:22 AEST
From: Parkdale
Practical help
Hello readers,I think that there are likeminded people who are interested in helping these kids. I have been in contat with many institutions. I want to get a group of people who are interested in providing financial help, even if very small, for a specific service to child or children at Mogilino. This will be facilitate by Siobhain from TBACT (www.tbact.org). Please email me at: Gabriele.Hermansson@hotmail.com if interested. Thank you very much in anticipation.
27 May 2008 13:53 AEST
From: Parra
This is only the flowers...
Thats right. The real fruits are not in bulgaria. They are on the entire face of the earth. The documentary was shoking and truly heartbreaking, left many speachless, I'm sure. But do not forget - this doesn't just raise the issue of only bulgarian children and institutions. It raises the issue that whilst 5% of the planet can eat and drink and have things to laugh on, MAJORITY, i repeat - MAJORITY of the world cries in pain. http://www.patcom.com/pdf/100People.pdf
21 May 2008 23:56 AEST
From: Bronte
What were Unicef doing in the first place
It's interesting that Unicef are taking all the credit for changing the children's lives now and how wonderful they have been as an organisation but the question remains what were they doing while this was neglect and abuse was going on under their noses?
21 May 2008 15:09 AEST
From: Bowral NSW
Compassion
Surely no one could have watched this program without being profoundly affected by it. I, with others above, was so dist;urbed by it that I would travel there to help in a practical way, if authorities permitted it. Poverty and lack of education prevents their handling of it . So what about the rich countries surrounding Bulgaria in the European Union. Why no moral obligation to assist here? And what about the abusive male staff member bashing fragile children? Poverty of the law too,I think.
21 May 2008 13:51 AEST
From: Austinmer
Perspective
I have watched this doco three times since it first aired - once alone, and then with my wife and then again last night with my 21 yerar old son. I have never been so distressed and upset by something I have watched on TV and I consider myself to be hard hearted. I thought at first that it must have been some old footage from the concentration camps of the second world war . It certainly puts the 'struggle' and whining of Australian 'working families' into persepctive doesn't it?
21 May 2008 13:49 AEST
From: Sydney
Absolutely shattering
I can not explain how I felt after watching this documentary and even today, 1 week later, I still feel sick to my stomach, angry and disgusted. How can this only now becoming to light. I understand alot of countries are poor, but this, this is absolutely shattering. Something positive has to come out of this horrible crime. Thank you for showing this programme, it's opened many eyes of the world (including mine) as to this these poor children’s situation. Thank you to anyone who can help!!!
20 May 2008 9:55 AEST
From: McCrae, Victoria
This happening in the 21st Century!!!
I have never seen anything so distressing in my life. Belgrade is a member the European Union and it's 2008 and this is happening now! It's good to hear that UNICEF is on to the Belgrade situation but there are children all over the world suffering terribly at the hands of abusive, uncaring and unfeeling adults. At the end of the program there was a comment from the Belgrade Gov saying that they were satisfied with the way children's institutions ran including Mogolino! What is bad then?
19 May 2008 23:30 AEST
From: Blackriver N-Qld
I had sleepnes nights out off this documentage from the Bulgerien children in the institutions. One thing stand out that they never got love in there short live OR ANYBODDY WHO CARES ABOUT THEM I hope that this will change very fast and for good. They sure can use some motherly cudles from caring people. And they need things like toys and dolls plus Nice suroundings to live in . Not prison wals with no paint on it or wall paintings with children commics. The outside was a disgrace and no playg
19 May 2008 16:09 AEST
From: Marrickville
you can help
it was a heartbreaking documentary, but i was so disappointed there wasn't any information at the end of the program for follow-up contact for people who were affected by the plight of the children & may be interested in helping in some way. so here is more info - www.UNICEF.org.au/Donate-Appeals-Detail.asp?AppealID=41 ALSO Kate Blewett (director of the doco) & other supporters have set up The Campaign for Bulgaria's Abandoned Children - http://www.tbact.org/home.htm WE ALL CAN HELP!
18 May 2008 10:28 AEST
From: Werribee
No love
I cried at the end of the program when the reporter took the child by the hands & the child stood straight up & put his arms arouind the reporter. He just needed someone to hold him & show some love. The whole program was heart breaking.
18 May 2008 2:36 AEST
From: Cremorne
Horrified.
The silent and helpless hell these children are suffering has me overcome with grief and anger. I just can't understand how this could be filmed and aired and then have these poor, poor children still living in these abusive conditions. I am relieved to hear that Unicef is taking action, but am still so shocked at how the carers regarded the malnutrition and neglect as normal. The girl who still believes her mother is coming for her on September 27th has broken my heart.
18 May 2008 1:22 AEST
From: South Hedland WA
Sad
I was so sad for these children. I could not understand why the staff kept stuffing chunky food into a childs mouth before they even swallowed the first mouthful. I was wondering why they did not have fresh food only mushy stuff. I felt so sorry for there skinny frames they were all skin and bone. I also felt the pain of Vasky that had the broken leg. Something needs to be done urgently. The director should be sacked. Children shoud not live like that at all.
17 May 2008 20:15 AEST
From: Parkes
Inhuman
I saw the documentarie on the Bulgaria Abandoned Children last week and have not been able to stop thinking about it. It just broke my heart to see children suffer so much. I just hope they get the LOVE and CARE they deserve.
17 May 2008 4:57 AEST
From: Bentleigh
Shocking and frightening
It is devastating to see children treated this way. I was shocked and saddened that conditions like this exist in the world today. I did wonder though, how and why their parents can put them in such a place. It occured to me that perhaps some families are living in such severe poverty that they believe an institution is a better place for their child. Perhaps they cannot even feed them at home. It is just awful to consider. I feel guilty that I can switch the tv off & return to (my) reality.
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