DECISION FOR THE ADOPTION OF

THE NATIONAL STRATEGY ON THE CHILD(2008 – 2018)

Issued by the National Assembly

Promulg. SG, is. 14 of 12 February 2008

The National Assembly by virtue of Art. 86, para. 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and Art. 1, para. 3 of the Child Protection Act,

HAS HEREBY DECIDED:

To adopt the National Strategy on the Child 2008 - 2018 (enclosed herein)

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The Decision was adopted by the 40th National Assembly on 31 January 2008 and stamped with the official seal of the National Assembly.

NATIONAL STRATEGY ON THE CHILD 2008 - 2018

INTRODUCTION

The development of children and the protection of their rights is a national priority requiring a concentration of resources, constant political and public attention and maximum coordination of policies. The National Strategy on the Child is a political document which defines the priority areas and activities for improving the welfare of the children in Bulgaria. The Strategy has been adopted in compliance with Art. 1, para. 3 of the Child Protection Act (CPA) and is based on the main principles stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child of the United Nations (UN).

European frameworks

The European Commission (EC) has adopted actions for the development of a Single European Strategy on the Rights of the Child, as well as administrative provision of the new policies. Thus the European Union (EU) has clearly identified the support for the rights of the child as a separate subject requiring specific action.

By virtue of Art. 136 and 137 of the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997 over the past years the European Union has launched major steps to combat poverty and social isolation.The Lisbon European Council of 2000, it set the goal to become “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion”. The EU also adopted the “Open method of coordination for social protection and social inclusion”- one of its most important parts focusing on childcare. The open method of coordination is used also as a mechanism of convergence among the Member States and for learning from the good practices of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

National aspects

The state policy on the child has been implemented based on the National Strategy on the Child adopted by the National Assembly, based on the principles of the Child Protection Act.In compliance with the National Strategy, the Council of Ministers has adopted a National Programme for Child Protection. These documents are based on the principles aiming to ensure the best interests of the child and protection of the rights of all children in Bulgaria, by uniting the efforts of all institutions involved in the planning and implementation of the activities.

The Strategy has been developed after an evaluation of the situation of the children in Bulgaria. The Strategy is consistent with the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, the acts and bylaws, researches and national strategic documents: the Joint Memorandum on Social Inclusion of the Republic of Bulgaria and the National Strategy Reporton Social Protection and Social Inclusion of the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2006 - 2008; Operational Programme “Human Resources Development” (2007 - 2013); National Demographic Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria (2006 - 2020); National Health Strategy (draft); National Action Plan “Environment – Health”; National Integrated Plan for the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (2006 - 2009); National Programme for School Education and Pre-SchoolEducation and Training (2006 - 2015) and the Action Plan for Reducing the Number of Young People Not in Education and Early School Leavers at Compulsory School Age (2007 - 200) (draft); Strategy for Educational Integration of the Children and Pupils from Ethnic Minorities (2004 - 2015); the National Plan on Integration of Children with Special Educational Needs and/or Chronic Diseases into the National System of Education; the Framework Programme for Equal Integration of the Roma into Bulgarian society and the National Programme for the Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria.

The analysis of the implementation of the previous two strategies on the child has clearly shown that they have played their role for the identification of the national priorities in the field of child protection and consistent implementation of specific and coordinated policies and measures. This has resulted in conducting an efficient reform aimed at improving children’s welfare. Drawing on the principles of the Government Strategy, the Action Plan for Child Protection 2000 - 2003 and the National Strategy on the Child 2004 – 2006, and following the positive trends in the implementation of the policies for improving the welfare of children in Bulgaria as part of the reports on the implementation of the National Program for Child Protection, having a clear vision of the future challenges, this Strategy has increased its timeframes and scope of action.

Actions and measures have been identified to achieve the operational objectives of the Strategy, along with mechanisms for their financing, and integration of the policies on the child. The Strategy is structured in three parts. The first part outlines the situation of the children in Bulgaria. The second part identifies the major goal and operational objectives of the Strategy, as well as the activities and measure for their implementation by priority fields. The third part presents the resources for the implementation of the Strategy, the expected outcome and mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy.

Part One.

SITUATION OF THE CHILDREN IN BULGARIA

Demographic developments

The current situation of the Bulgarian population is the result of the continuous effect of a number of factors and influences, part of which are related to the general trends typical for the European countries, while others – to the specifics of the historical, economic and cultural development of the country.

The demographic processes typical for the developed countries, such as increased urbanization, reducing number of marriages and dropping birth rates, have a major impact on the demographic development of the country along with increased mortality rates and intensive emigration, which are typical for the developing countries. As a result of these processes Bulgaria has plunged into a grave demographic crisis (see National Demographic Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria (2006 - 2020)).

The present-day demographic situation is characterized by a decreasing number of the population for the past 10 years. The continuing negative trend of absolute and relative drop in the children’s population in the Republic of Bulgaria is indicative of the lasting process of ageing of the nation. While in 1989 the relative share of the children’s population was 25%, in 2006 it dropped down to 18,5%, i.e. 1 420 810 children. A constant rate of decline of the children’s population made its way in the period from 2001 through 2006. The major reasons for this had been the low birth rate, great emigration of children leaving abroad with their parents and the relatively high child mortality rates.

A slight increase in birth rate has been registered over the past few years – while in 2003 the birth rate stood at 8,6 (number of live births per 1000 persons of the average annual number of the population), in 2004 it reached 9,0 per thousand and in 2006 reached 9,6 %. A total of 74 495 children were born in Bulgaria in 2006, 73978 of whom, or 99,3 %, were live births. For the sake of comparison, during the preceding year the number of live births increased by 2903 children. Cities account for 55 043 live births, while the number of children born in villages stood at 18 935 or 10,1 live births per 1000 people of the urban population and 8,3 live births per 1000 people of the rural population.

The analysis of the demographic perspective shows that the drop in birth rate in the country is due to the lower fertility of women in birth-giving age and the decrease of their number. The change is due to the new developments in social and economic conditions, as well as in the altered values of women – they tend to prioritize education and professional career. This is why the efforts of the state should be directed to create appropriate conditions for giving birth, raising and upbringing children, financial support and social realization of children.

Despite the observed positive trend of increasing birth rate, yet another significant problem has been teen pregnancy (mothers under 20 years of age) - from 25 % in 1993 it dropped to 17 % in 2000 and further decreased to 14,2 % in 2005. In 2005, a total of 10 160 children were born by mothers under 20 years of age, whereas 401 of those children were born by mothers aged under 15. Special attention should be paid to abortions and particularly to the infertility they can cause, which has a demographic dimension. The physical immaturity of mothers, the attempted self-induced abortions and the problems related to the birth of the child result in a number of problems associated with the physical and mental development of the children. Teen pregnancy may be a factor for the social exclusion of the mother and the respective consequences for the child.

Models of family behaviour

The array of demographic factors as resulting indicators for the family, respectively children’s welfare, has an effect on yet another important factor – the family pattern from the perspective of the number of children raised in it, as well as the formation of the family. The process of gradual transition from a three-children or two-children two one-child family model is too complicated and has been taking place for 50 years. In 1990, the average number of children in the family was 1,73, in 1994 - 1,24, since 1997 it has been dropping to 1,1. A tendency of slight increase of the number of children had been registered for the first time in 2000 - 1,27 (Data has been provided by “Priorities and Policies for the Welfare of Children”, GorexPress, Sofia, 2002).

Some of the factors explaining the low birth rate cover also the changes in the mentality of families about the optimum number of children. For modern Bulgarians, a family with two children continues to be the ideal reproductive model.

Data from the sample survey on birth rate conducted during the census in 2001 indicate a significant difference between the ideal for the number of children in a family and the realization of reproductive wishes of women aged 45-49. As per the survey, the majority of Bulgarian families (ca. 70%) wish to have two children, yet due to economic difficulties 60% of them have not managed to reach that goal. In a short-term perspective, this includes postponed births, and in the medium and long run – this involves the realization to a maximum extent of the ideal of the Bulgarian family – a family with two children, by creating the proper social and economic environment necessary to raise and bring up the children(National Demographic Strategy 2006-2020).

Bulgaria ranks at one of the top places among Eastern European countries as per the average share of births out of wedlockof the total number of births.The absolute and average share of children born out of wedlock has been climbing up sustainably – from 38,4 % in 2000 to 49,0 % in 2005. In 2006 the number of live births out of wedlock stood at 37569 or 50,8 % of all children. The high birth rates out of wedlock can be explained by the significant increase of factual cohabitation, which is confirmed by the circumstance that in 60% of births out of wedlock the father of the child is known, hence it can be assumed that these children live in family environment. For about 1/5 (20,3 %) of all live births the father is unknown.

The number of abortions among the youngest is extremely high – girls and women younger than 20 years of age.Bulgaria ranks among the first among the European countries based on this indicator. In 2005, 9,3 % of the registered abortions occurred among girls aged younger than 19 - 3890, whereas 211 of those were girls under 15 years of age.

The national statistics and research have established a trend of change in marital behavior – the number of marriages has been going down, while the number of divorces has remained stable. The marriages which took place in 2006 stand at a total of 32 773, of by 728 less than the preceding year. Of those, 79,6 % took place in towns. 6672 marriages took place in the villages. In 2006, the number of registered divorces stood at 14 828 which was close to that in 2005 (14 676 divorces). The majority of those (12 144 divorces) had been registered in the towns.

Child poverty

Poverty is a phenomenon of many dimensions, not only a matter of poor income for part of the population.Pursuant to the concept of child poverty applied by the UNICEF Research Center Innocenti, “child poverty is a situation in which the child has a standard of living, which is not adequate to its physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development” (Innocenti Social Monitor 2004. EconomicGrowth and Child Poverty in the CEE/CIS and the Baltic states).

In 2006, the level of poverty among children up to 15 years of age was 15,1 % with an average amount of 12,3% for the 16 – 64 age group. The risk of poverty is biggest for children of single parents or children living in a poor household. The risk of poverty is particularly high for families of many children - 28,6 % of the households with three or more children live in poverty and is further increased for children of the vulnerable ethnic groups, more particularly the Roma and the Turks. (See Operational Programme “Human Resources Development 2007 - 2013).

The risk of poverty is highest in households in which noone works, but there are dependable children. The importance of the access to the labour market is clearly indicated by the fact that the level of poverty among households, where all adults are employed, is insignificant - 1,1 % for households without children and 1,2 % for households with children (Report for the Implementation of the Joint Memorandum for Social Inclusion of the Republic of Bulgaria).

Another consequence of child poverty is also the violation of children’s rights and their deprivation of equal opportunities for future development.On the other hand, the violation of the fundamental rights of the child for various reasons (various forms of discrimination) is a prerequisite for poverty. Another consequence is that poverty has an indirect effect on the process of socialization.

The dimensions of child poverty require an analysis of the relations and trends among children, by applying an approach based on the rights and reflecting the situation of the children in different fields – healthcare, education and personal development, social inclusion and participation, as well as other newly occurring needs in a fast-developing world. The progress in the indicators of children’s well-being, which are not related to income, is different for different regions and populated areas, whereas child poverty is predominant in rural areas.

The reduction of the risk of poverty and social exclusion is one of the major long-term priorities of the Bulgarian government. There is a trend of poverty reduction among the population, yet the risk of poverty is still higher for some identified risk groups (ethnic minority groups, elderly women, single parents, children at risk, long-term unemployed, etc.).

Health

Changes in child mortality are a sensitive indicator of economic and cultural development of society. After the high level of 17,5 % reached in 1997, the child mortality rate had been declining to reach 10,4% in 2005. In 2006, child mortality rate stood at9,7 % and has kept since its high levels among some ethnic minority communities, more particularly among the Roma. Although over the past years, child mortality rate in Bulgaria has been going down continuously, it remains higher than the rate in European countries. In most countries in Europe, child mortality rate stands between 3,0 and 5,0 %. In Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia the level of this indicator falls within the frames from 6,2 to 7,8 %. The indicator is higher only in Romania, as compared to our country - 15,0 %.

The following age intervals are used in defining the age typology of mortality: 0 - 4 years oldand 5 - 18 years old.

The number of children who died aged 0 to 4 years stands at 857, whereas the children up to 1 year of age stand at a total of 720, or 84,5 %. The causes for child mortality (0-1 year) are conditions that have occurred in the perinatal period, mainly hypoxia and asphyxiation. These are followed by an average share of congenital abnormalities as the causes of mortality and then – respiratory diseases. Leading causes of mortality for the age from 1 to 4 in 2006 were respiratory diseases, followed by external factors, etc.

Child mortality is related to underweightbelow set standards, the frequency and severity of infectious diseases,which to a large extent are affected by nutrition. The major reasons for the death of children under 1in 2004 could be related to nutrition in this age are: respiratory diseases - 188,9 per 100 000 live births, infectious diseases and parasitoses - 64,4 per 100 000 live births, digestive diseases – 20 per 100 000 live births. Trauma and poisoning of children under the age of 1, which can be related to the quality of care while raising the children, have been the cause of death for 48,7 per 100 000 live births and rank 6th among the major causes of child mortality.