A project funded by:

The Global Fund for Children

Bulgaria ratified both the UN CRC (1991) and 182 ILO Convention on the worst forms of Child Labor. In February 2002, Bulgaria became party to the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

In May 2002, Bulgaria ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter-country Adoption. It entered into force in September 2002. The Child Protection Act (CPA) was passed in 2000. The Act mainly governs the rights of the child, the principles and the measures for child protection, the state and municipal bodies and their interaction in the process of performing child protection services, as well as participation of non-for-profit legal entities and natural persons in these activities.

Description:

The objective of the Project is to provide training of trainers for teachers and staff of new local branches of the SACP and the CPDs in order to make them familiar with the provisions, possibilities and obligations of the State to intervene in cases of trafficking and sexual exploitation as well as to give them the tools for prevention and protection of children against such threats.

Project purpose:

1. Creation of local teams of trainers among teachers, local branches of the SACP and social workers from the CPDs to provide further training and to serve as local Focal Points for prevention and reintegration activities.
2. Raising the awareness of the local communities on the subject of trafficking and sexual exploitation of children
3. Give the prevention tool in the hands of people mostly communicating with children at risk.

Direct target groups:

 teachers from elementary and secondary schools
 school psychologists
 staff of the local branches of the State Agency for Child protection

Indirect target groups:

 children from economically disadvantaged families
 children from minorities
 children in institutional care
 children exposed to other risks

Activities:

 Preparation of a general curriculum for the direct target groups on the implementation of the CRC
 Three training workshops
 Drafting recommendations for future activities of child protection departments

Partners:

 The State Agency for Child Protection