Contacts
Address

Sveti Nikola

P.O.Box 104, Varna 9010

Bulgaria

Telephone:

+359 52 302518

Early Intervention for Prevention of Abandonment of Children with Disabilities

The project adopts the social model that focuses on children and families in developing services and demonstrates its advances over the medical model.

Partners:

Child Protection Department, Varna
Colorful Future Association with a chairperson Dr. R. Pancheva, regional representative of the National Breastfeeding Committee 
Varna Municipality
both state maternity hospitals in Varna

Project goal is to decrease abandonment and institutionalization of children at risk and with disabilities.

The goal shall be reached through:

  1. Developing and introducing an Early Intervention Program;
  2. Establishing a family support network and learning opportunities for parents;
  3. Promoting Early Intervention services to health partners and government departments.

The early intervention program will take place in both maternity hospitals where breastfeeding training and support to young mothers of at risk infants will be provided; early intervention consultants will support the families using family-centered approach and will give them knowledge and skills to stimulate child development; a mobile team of professionals will be set up to assess child development and to deliver support services to the families of children at risk/with disability.

The project results will be disseminated widely across Bulgaria, and the services of the early intervention team and Karin Dom training facility will be available to non-profit organizations and health professionals in other jurisdictions.

Implementation period

September 2010 - August 2012

Financed by

Open Society Institute