Advocacy and research

Our advocacy program aims to protect the right of every child to live and develop in a secure family environment. Our approach is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the international and national framework for the protection of children’s rights. While through our social services we reach children and families directly, by influencing policies at the national and local levels, we can reach all children and families across the country.

We advocate the introduction of a comprehensive child welfare policy and the adoption of evidence-based policies in all areas related to children’s rights in Bulgaria. The priority topics on which we carry out advocacy activities are:

– Early Childhood Development

– Social and integrated services in the community

– Child poverty and social exclusion

– Child protection, including deinstitutionalization, foster care, prevention of child abandonment and separation from parents, capacity of the child protection system

– Violence against children

– The rights of children with disabilities and developmental difficulties

On these topics, the team of our organization has a highly developed expertise, which is based on our practice in our social and integrated services, as well as our research.

In recent years, we have expanded the scope of our research. Independently and in partnership with other organizations, we conduct research focused primarily on policies and practices related to our priority advocacy topics. Our research aims to support the advocacy program by extracting data and evidence to shape our policy recommendations.

We participate in a number of networks and associations, through which we create partnerships and work together with other supporters in the direction of ensuring the rights of children in our country.