site.btaSofia Short of Around 10,000 Childcare Places This Year

Sofia is short of around 10 000 childcare places this year, said Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev on Nova TV on Sunday.

He added that about 590 new places will be announced on Monday when the application process starts. “The places we will announce are always insufficient compared to how big the problem is,” Terziev said. “At the moment, kindergartens and nurseries are being built and expanded, which will be able to accommodate about 4,500 children in the coming years. Every year the number increases by a thousand and if we do not take quick measures, something my team and I are working on, there will be a shortage of 8,000-9,000 places again in two or three years,” he said.

According to him, the Municipality will seek funding at the national level in the amount of BGN 450 million - BGN 500 million. “We have identified a number of municipal and state land plots that we will ask to be transferred to us, we are working with private investors to be able to build these kindergartens and nurseries in the coming years,” Terziev added.
Another problem he highlighted is the shortage of teachers and medical staff for the kindergartens.

The mayor also commented on criticism from councillors that the municipality could lose money under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RSP), under which three new schools and eight kindergartens are to be built by 2026. “We’ll see. We are working on what is planned to make it happen. Our goal is not to lose anything under the Plan, there are risks, but at the moment there are no risks,” Terziev added.