Varna municipality provided land for new therapeutic complex of Karin Dom
Dear friends, parents, citizens of our beautiful city,
we are very happy to share a very exciting news for you. For many years, Karin Dom has dreamed of creating a new modern complex in which to integrate social and educational, health and therapeutic services for children with special needs and their parents, as well as a training center for specialists working in the sphere.
Today we can say that dreams come true! And we dreamed boldly and today we can tell you that thanks to the Municipality of Varna and all of you – citizens of Varna, Karin Dom got the long awaited terrain on which to build the future modern center for children with special needs. The plot is supplied free of charge by the Municipality of Varna after a vote of the Municipal Council today and is located on “Doyran” street in the central part of the city. We hope very soon to start the construction works, and the building costs of the building are provided by the Velux Foundation after a winning project by Karin Dom.
“We are extremely happy with the result and thanks for the responsible behaviour of the municipal administration and the municipal council and the supportive behaviour in the process of creating the new Karin Dom. Today’s vote is an important signal for the placement of children with special needs in society as well as for their families. We hope that we can achieve results with the common efforts of institutions, citizens and civic organizations, to be proud of – a happy childhood for every child regardless of his or her condition, diagnosis and challenges. The new centre will enable us to implement a combination of health, social and educational services and to help even more Bulgarian families. Thank you! “– said Maya Doneva, Executive Director of Karin Dom.
The team of Karin Dom believes that through this new complex will be able to change the environment in which the children with special needs in Bulgaria live, grow and learn. Karin Dom hopes that with this big step, will succeed in realizing another dream and just as Mr. Stanchov 22 years ago will meet the hopes, desires and needs of many children, parents and specialists.
Karin Dom was founded by the diplomat and a great Bulgarian philanthropist Ivan Stanchov at a time when all plans for a family-oriented therapeutic centre seemed more like dreams than reality. With a difficult start, specialists from England and the United States, the trust of the institutions and the Municipality of Varna, a dedicated team and many donors, Karin Dom becomes a benchmark for supporting children with special needs, applying innovative methods and approaches.
Since 1996 until 2017 support in Karin Dom has received 2255 children. Only in 2018 Karin Dom has included over 300 families with small children from Varna, the region and the country through its two social services: Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration and Early Intervention Center. The Training Center at the Foundation successfully trains specialists and students in Karin Dom’s good practices for working with children and families. In 2017 more than 1,000 specialists, parents and students from the country and abroad have been involved in the trainings, dozens of methodological guides and handbooks, applications and tools have been developed to help specialists and parents.
For the seventh year, Karin Dom has supported families of children from 0 to 3 years old and develops a social service that has no equivalent in Bulgaria – the “Early Intervention” Program. From 2013 the services of the program are part of the social program of the Municipality of Varna, which recognizes the service as valuable for the community. The results are more than good for the children involved in the program, and after leaving 52% of the children involved do not need treatment, specialized services or resource support at the children’s institution. The service is now recognizable and sought by many families with concerns whose children are without a diagnosed condition.
The activity of CSRI “Karin Dom” is carried out as a state delegated activity whose capacity in 2018 is already 60 seats, and through additional sources of funding, such as corporate and individual donors, through projects, charity events, business, and paid services.
In the recent years, more and more families from Varna and the country have been seeking support from Karin Dom, and many professionals working with children with special needs are included in the training programs of the organization.
