site.btaAdoption Permission Granted for Only 850 of 8,000 Children Without Parental Care

Out of nearly 8,000 children deprived of parental care in Bulgaria, permission for full adoption has been granted for only around 850, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivan Krastev said on Friday. He clarified that approximately 3,700 of these 8,000 kids are placed with relatives or extended family, while the remainder live in foster families or family-type care centres.

Krastev made the remarks during a roundtable discussion mottoed: “Family is chosen with the heart, to give roots and wings,” held at the National Press Club of BTA in Sofia. The event was organized by the “Adopted and Adopters” Bulgarian Association.

“We have a duty as institutions and as a society to talk more about the chance given to some children — and taken from others — to find their family,” Krastev commented. According to him, the best chance for a child is a loving family, regardless of whether there is a biological connection. He expressed support for offering children the opportunity to be adopted earlier, particularly when reintegration into their biological family is unsuccessful. Krastev emphasized the importance of safeguarding children’s rights and ensuring the sincerity of adopters’ intentions. He said the state has provided an adequate network of social and supportive services.

Krastev also drew attention to cases of “dis-adoption,” where the shock to the child can be severe. “We are striving to strengthen the training and preparation of adopters,” he noted.

He called for support for those who decide to adopt a child, saying: “This will be the start of a new happy life.”

The roundtable marked the beginning of the National Adoption Awareness Weeks, which will take place in late September and early October.