For children who arrive in Bulgaria accompanied by their relatives or friends, support is provided in a family environment. For unaccompanied children, the guiding principle is to provide support in a family environment, and when staying outside the family, the sequence of protection measures is observed (accommodation in a family of relatives or friends, in a foster family and, as a last resort, accommodation in a social or integrated health and social service for residential care). Each case is based on an individual approach, compliance with regulatory procedures and, above all, an up-to-date assessment of the possibility for the child to take both adequate and more favorable protection measures.
Given the specific risk situation in which these children find themselves, the lack of documents (in many cases) and the lack of parental care for their support, all necessary measures and activities for child protection will be taken, as well as additional funds will be provided to support to the people who will take care of these children.
In cases of unaccompanied Ukrainian children, the Social Assistance Directorate takes the following actions:
1. investigation of relatives or a suitable foster family with whom they may be accommodated
2. temporary accommodation, including in the cases of emergency accommodation outside the family until the issuance of a court decision
3. granting of monthly allowances / funds for children placed for upbringing with relatives or close ones or in foster families
4. one-time assistance for meeting a certain need, which has arisen exceptionally and is not related to the maintenance of the child
All children, foreign nationals and refugee children at risk have the right to use various types of social services for children. Their parents or legal representatives also have this right. One of the most important forms of social services for these people is the provision of adequate psychological support.
Support from the State Agency for Child Protection
Ukrainian citizens can turn to the State Agency for Child Protection (SACP), which has direct contact with all 147 social assistance directorates and child protection departments in Ukraine, for assistance in child support and caregivers in the country of the Social Assistance Agency, who work on site with children, families and their relatives.
Every Ukrainian citizen can contact the SACP in a way convenient for him:
♦ on site at the State Agency for Child Protection - Sofia, 2 Triaditsa Str .;
♦ in the territorial structures of the SACP:
► Burgas, 7-9 Aleksandrovska Street;
► Varna, 76 G Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., room 515;
►Vratsa, 2 Stoyan Zaimov Str., 4th floor, room 14;
► Plovdiv, 1 Nikola Mushanov Square, rooms 122 and 134;
► Ruse, 6 Svoboda Square, room 502.
♦ by e-mail: sacp@sacp.government.bg.
National telephone line for children
Available around the clock, free of charge and throughout the country for consultations on cases with children is the National Children's Hotline of the SACP with harmonized European number 116 111. The line is part of the Global Network of National Hotlines for Children - Child Helpline International and cooperates with lines in 140 countries.
The consultants of the National Telephone Line for Children 116 111 are ready at any time, seven days a week to provide psychological support and give the necessary consultation to Ukrainian children and citizens arriving in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The line is the fastest connection with the child protection departments in places in the country. There is a cooperation agreement with the emergency number 112, as well as with the regional police departments, the regional departments of education, municipalities, social services and others.
