site.btaOnly 15% of Bulgarians Willing to Become Foster Parents, Survey Says

Only 15% of Bulgarians would become foster parents, according to a national poll conducted by Trend Research Centre, quoted by the National Association for Foster Care (NAFC) on Friday. Around 68% strongly refuse to do so, while 17% could not say whether they would accept such a role. 

The survey was commissioned by the NAFC. The organization marks October 25, 2024 as Foster Parent and Foster Care Day. 

The poll shows low public willingness to support children through fostering. The reasons vary, but the primary factor is a lack of sufficient information and understanding about the foster care process, the NAFC said. Foster care in this country has developed in the face of public misunderstanding, institutional stagnation and declining interest.

According to the survey, women are more likely to become foster parents than men - 21% of women say they are willing, while for men this share is only 9%. This is evidence of deep social and cultural stereotypes that place women in the role of primary caregivers for children, the NAFC noted.

Higher economic status is associated with a greater willingness to foster - people with incomes above BGN 2,000 show significantly more interest (21%) than those with lower incomes. Education also has a key role to play - those with higher education are significantly more likely to consider foster care, with 29% stating willingness, compared to 13% for those with secondary education.

The survey also reveals that 60% of those who agreed to foster would take on this task regardless of whether they received money to do so. A total of 11% of respondents would agree to become foster parents in exchange for a salary and child support. Awareness on foster care remains insufficient among a large proportion of the population. A total of 69% of respondents learned about foster care through television, and 29% learned about it through social media. Some 6% of national respondents had never heard of foster care. Foster care in Bulgaria is developing in conditions of social misunderstanding, lack of social security for foster parents, and declining interest in foster parenting.

There are nearly 400 foster families in the country with whom no children have been placed, according to NAFC data.