In brief
At a forum in Pazardzhik on 2 November 2026, government officials and local leaders urged the state to promote foster care and improve the regulatory and support structures for foster families. Speakers noted challenges such as balancing foster and biological children, reintegration trust, and emotional exhaustion, and called for greater public awareness and resources for those caring for children without parents.
Pazardzhik hosted a forum dedicated to foster care on 2 November 2026, with government officials and local leaders emphasizing the importance of state support and public awareness for families who welcome children into their homes. Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Nadya Klisurska told the gathered audience that foster parents must feel the gratitude and backing of the state and highlighted the need for institutions to step up and promote foster care so that more people will take on this essential role.
Pozardedzhik’s Deputy Regional Governor Gergana Bozhkova noted that while progress has been made, additional work is needed to encourage families to consider fostering. She stressed that the longer road to broadening participation lies in the strategic promotion and the adjustment of policies that make the process more accessible to potential caregivers.
Addressing the Specific Needs of Children with Disabilities
Pazardzhik’s Deputy Mayor Gergana Icheva, who also serves as direct supervisor of the region’s foster care social service, focused on the unique placements required for children with disabilities. She argued that there must be a concerted effort to combine specialized support services with the so‑called family dynamics to ensure smooth placement and the best outcomes for these vulnerable children.
The head of the Pazardzhik Social Assistance Regional Directorate, Tsvetelina Arapova‑Chavdarova, highlighted the main challenges facing foster parents, saying that the balance between foster and biological children in a family, overcoming mistrust during reintegration, and coping with emotional exhaustion and the behavioural challenges of children are ongoing issues that warrant comprehensive solutions.
24/7 Support and Rapid Response
Director of the Social Assistance Directorate Radka Kezheva discussed the readiness of social workers to respond to complaints of children in need of protection around the clock. Her comments emphasized the importance of having a well‑structured system that allows for urgent intervention, safeguarding children who are in immediate danger and fast‑track the placement process for those awaiting homes.
Svetlana Stamenova, a foster care expert within the Pazardzhik Municipality, highlighted the goal of ensuring that foster families consist of two parents, a structure she argued helps instill a system of values in children. She explained that a reliable and stable environment is what most children need to grow and thrive, and stressed that the goal of the policy is to provide that environment without jeopardising the few children left without parents.
Preparing Families for Difficult Transitions
Stamenova also pointed out that the greatest challenge for foster families is preparing to say goodbye to a child once the child is able to return to the biological parents. The skill of knowing how to manage this transition—in the hopes of preventing permanent estrangement—was discussed as a foundational requirement for a successful foster placement.
Klisurska concluded the forum by reiterating that the aim of the discussions was to raise awareness about foster care amongst a broader segment of the population and to encourage more people to open their hearts to children who have been left without parental care. She made it clear that further efforts are required to improve the legal framework and support services made available to foster families.
The forum’s combined focus on policy enhancements, public education, and emotional support reflects a growing recognition of the civic stakes involved in fostering. A functioning child welfare system depends upon adequate institutional structure, adequate legal regulation, and widespread public trust to actively support vulnerable children. Those taking the step to open their homes become central actors in the broader democratic system that attempts to safeguard the future of its most affected citizens—children without parents, their families, and the broader society that sustains them.
