Smooth out the differences and achieve coherence; Smooth out the differences and achieve coherence

Smooth out the differences and achieve coherence;

• Smooth out the differences and achieve coherence;

• Develop social skills and increase economic productivity;

• Develop skills at a very early age and grow up to become a successful adult;

• Not only Intelligence Quotient! Also motivation, ability to focus, control of emotions, mental health, belief in oneself;

52% of children in Bulgaria live in risk of poverty and social exclusion

• 52% of children in Bulgaria live in risk of poverty and social exclusion

• 41% of children aged 6-11 months have anemia

• 1 700 children up to 3 years of age are abandoned every year to institutions, mainly because of disabilities or parent poverty

• 11 000 children get registered by juvenile delinquency commissions due to manifestation of anti-social behavior

• 8 500 women with no health insurance give birth every year

20% of 5-year-olds in Bulgaria were not covered by pre-school education, as of 2011;

• 20% of 5-year-olds in Bulgaria were not covered by pre-school education, as of 2011;

• 11.5% of 6-year-olds were not enrolled in pre-school groups at schools or kindergartens in 2011;

• 1 200 is the average annual number of children due for school enrolling who were not enrolled between 2008 and 2013;

• 7 000 children on the average per annum leave the initial stage of school education or are never enrolled at school;

• About 20 000 children per year leave the education system.

Social Inclusion Project of the MLSP, financed by the World Bank

• Social Inclusion Project of the MLSP, financed by the World Bank

• Development of social and health services upon closure of HMSCCs

• Deinstitutionalisation in Bulgaria

Project on early childhood development of the Trust for Social Achievement

• Project on early childhood development of the Trust for Social Achievement

• Numerous local initiatives of NGOs

• National Network for Children under HRD OP funded project on Exchange and Cooperation for Improving the Welfare of Children

• UNICEF – Shumen and Sliven

A strategy for early childhood development to join together social, health and educational efforts in this field

• A strategy for early childhood development to join together social, health and educational efforts in this field

• Cover the costs for kindergarten fees for poor parents

• Increase the capacity of kindergartens to accommodate more children and decrease the number of children in each kindergarten group

• Develop more and diverse services for 1- to 3-year-olds

• Targeted development of services in marginalized communities

• Improve the quality of services at nurseries and kindergartens, the focus being on skill acquision

• Limit school non-enrollment and leaving of the education system by children

Thank you for your attention!

• Thank you for your attention!