site.btaMothers Protest, Demanding Better Conditions for Raising Children

Mothers Protest, Demanding Better Conditions for Raising Children

Sofia, December 10 (BTA) - Mothers with babies in prams Friday
protested in front of Parliament bearing slogans of "Stop the
Genocide of Children in Bulgaria", "Bulgaria's Children: an
Endangered Species" and "The State: Mother to Some, Stepmother
to Others".
 
The main demands are related to including the minimum wage in
the paid maternity leave during the second year, increase of
child benefits and available enrolment at kindergartens.

There is money for other things but there is no money for the
future of Bulgaria, the mothers commented, standing with the
prams in front of the National Assembly entrance.

The demands of the mothers amount to several billion leva - a
sum which could hardly be provided from anywhere, Labour and
Social Policy Minister Ivaylo Kalfin told journalists later.

It is difficult to tell a mother there is no more, but such is
the capacity of the budget, Kalfin noted. If we want more we
either have to have a lareger budget with larger taxes, or it
should be distributed in another manner, which means taking some
 from one position and putting it into another, he said.

A good balance has been found, Kalfin added, as the funds for
the next year have been increased. They are not much per capita,
 but as a gross sum they are not a little and the families
receiving them because of the change of the top limit are more.
As of 2015, all parents for the first time have additional funds
 for raising children because the employed are granted 200 leva
tax deduction per child.

The Social Minister said that if there are more funds in the
budget he would direct them towards children with grave
disabilities and their parents. There is an injustice in their
case, because when such a child turns 18 the family income drops
 drastically which the child does not improve physically, he
pointed out. More solutions should be sought on this
matter.