Karin Dom Foundation has initiated a work meeting with the Ministry of Health – Bulgaria on the subject of early intervention

On the 18th of September, Karin Dom Foundation held a work meeting with the Ministry of Health for presenting the results of a research focused on the possibilities for regulating the early intervention services in Bulgaria. Apostol Apostolov, PhD, presented the research and led the discussion on the main results. The research itself was conducted between September 2011 – January 2013.

Present on the meeting were representatives of the resource institutions, that are in charge for making a reality the deinstitutionalization of Children in Bulgaria – the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science and The StateAgency for Child Protection. The meeting was hosted by Mrs. Anna Temelkova – chief of the “Direction: Family Project” with the Ministry of Health.

The results from the research are published in a report, entitled “Early Childhood Intervention Services for Children with Disabilities in Bulgaria: an alternative to institutional care for 0-3”.

The full version of the report can be found here in English and here in Bulgarian.

During the meeting, Karin Dom Foundation received an invitation and engaged in becoming a member of a newfound work group with the Ministry of Health, that is developing a methodology and a financial standards for the early intervention service as part of the “Direction: Family Project”. The project is working towards restructuring the homes for children between 0 and 3 years (Home for Medico–social Care for Children), and the including of early intervention services is part of this restruction. Karin Dom Foundation also engaged in giving a written stand about how the Early Intervention services in Bulgaria should be regulated. The purpose of the written stand is to differentiate the early intervention from other services for children with disabilities.