site.btaDeputy Social Policy Minister Presents Bulgaria's Progress in Implementing European Child Guarantee

Deputy Labour and Social Policy Minister Natalia Efremova presented Bulgaria's progress in implementing the European Child Guarantee at an event organized by Eurochild and the National Network for Children (NNC), the Labour and Social Policy Ministry press service reported on Thursday. Reduced infant mortality rate, expanded network of social services, improved access to healthcare and fewer children dropping out of the education system are some of the achievements in the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, Efremova said.

The implementation of the National Action Plan on the European Child Guarantee will contribute to achieving the goal of reducing the number of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion by over 190,000 by 2030, the Deputy Minister said. Financial support for the implementation of the plan has been secured from both the state budget and the European Social Fund Plus, with over 200,000 children from vulnerable groups expected to be covered.

Efremova emphasized the important role of municipalities and the implementation of measures at local level to improve children's access to quality services in line with their needs. "The issue of child welfare, the fight against child poverty and the possible measures we can implement at local level are key to building mechanisms in place to support families temporarily struggling to raise their children," she said.

A day earlier, President Rumen Radev and NNC Executive Director Georgi Bogdanov discussed the implementation of the Bulgarian plan to reduce child poverty and social exclusion under the European Child Guarantee. The meeting was within the framework of a three-day visit of Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Chair of Eurochild.