For Our Children

A Bulgarian NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) dedicated to preventing child abandonment and providing family care for children.

Their main areas of work include:

• Prevention of child abandonment and placement in institutions
• Foster care
• Returning children from institutions back to their families or into an alternative family environment
• Inclusive education for children with disabilities
• Development of child oriented policies
• Empowerment of vulnerable children to set up their own networks and associations and to take active part in the child welfare sphere. Improvement of the life of Bulgarian youth.

Over 7,000 children in Bulgaria live in institutions, with a high percentage under 3 years old. Only around 200 are in foster care. Many are institutionalised because families are not able to look after them, or their mothers are only children themselves. These children need foster families or adopters and their transition to family care has to be skilfully managed.

For Our Children work to recruit and train foster carers and to raise the profile of foster caring generally in Bulgaria. They work directly by supporting underage mothers and educating high-risk communities and are urging the Bulgarian government to formally investigate all cases of childhood pregnancy.

For Our Children are directly involved in projects to support children leaving institutional care and in supporting foster families caring for these children. They work with Roma communities to encourage access to education for children and equal access to education for children with disabilities.

For more information you can visit their website here.

Foster Care Associates is committed to helping the work of  For Our Children by providing financial support and staff time. The aim is to raise a total of £60,000 this year and develop a skill-sharing arrangement, bringing Bulgarian staff & politicians to the UK and sending staff to Bulgaria for work placements and mentoring.

You may make a donation to For Our Children via the coregiving website.