site.btaNorwegian Fund to Assist Projects Aimed at Parents of Disabled Children

Norwegian Fund to Assist Projects Aimed at Parents of  Disabled Children

Sofia, February 17 (BTA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivaylo Kalfin and Norway's European Affairs Minister Elisabeth Aspaker discussed during a working meeting here on Wednesday problems related to early childhood development, improving the connection between work and education, increasing opportunities for parents of disabled children to return to work, as well as institutionalizing the care for unaccompanied refugee children in Bulgaria, Kalfin's Ministry reported. Bulgaria would seek financial support from the Norwegian Fund's new programming period for these policies.

The meeting's goal was to discuss Bulgaria's opportunities under the bilateral Norwegian Cooperation Programme for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development.

Minister Aspaker noted that the Norwegian Fund's new programming period will also place a priority on financing projects related to the integration of refugees. In response, Minister Kalfin underscored the need to introduce an effective mechanism for working with unaccompanied refugee children, including raising them and providing schooling and specific social and medical support.

Minister Kalfin underscored that the families of children with disabilities, who are at risk of poverty, are also a priority group for the Labour and Social Policy Ministry. It is important to implement more projects aimed at providing specific day care to children with disabilities, in parallel with working with their parents towards providing them training and retraining opportunities to help them improve their chances of finding employment. The goal is to create opportunities for the parents of disabled children to return to the labour market, Kalfin commented.