Encouraging responsible parenthood and support for the three children model – these are the priorities, set by the ministry of labor and social policy with the changes in the Law on Child Benefits. Measures are envisaged, aiming at the prevention of child benefits given to parents who have abandoned their children, also strengthening the relation between family support and education and guaranteeing the equality between the different types of parents – biological ones, adopters or foster families.

“The law tries to raise the effectiveness of the funds, spent by the state for family support,” says Ivaylo Kalfin, a minister of labor and social policy. “Abuse options should be reduced, in order for the money to be fully aimed at those, who really need it. The law is intended to encourage responsible parenthood – children should live in a family with good care; they should go to school and receive the appropriate healthcare. The family benefits system has no ambitions or abilities to provide the full maintenance of the children, it only supports parents. The help is optional, meets certain social criteria and we link it to results.”

Nearly 254,000 families received state support last year. The funds spent for all kinds of child benefits were to the tune of more than EUR 285 million and almost the same amount is provided in this year’s budget. According to Minister Kalfin one of the major legislative changes is that each payment will be determined by the number of children in a household and not by their sequence, as it used to be. “We can’t count how much money each following kid brings us, but we talk on a family with one, two or three children, as the ones with three will be stimulated with more money,” he explained. An expanded version of the family concept is proposed for a first time – it will also include couples that live together and raise their kids without an official marriage. A single financial injection is introduced for cases of adoption and it will be equal to the one for a first baby birth. Parents who have abandoned their children will have to return some of the money received. Those, whose children do not visit school on a regular basis, will be sanctioned as well. The issue with teenage mothers is another problem that the social ministry tries to solve. Some 5,000 teenage pregnant girls and mothers were supported by the state last year. Expert analyses show that the problem with teenage pregnancies is located within different municipalities, as it is most serious in Sliven, Burgas and Plovdiv. Minister Kalfin goes on to explain what the changes aimed at solving this problem, envisage:

“Teenage mothers will receive child benefits in the form of comestibles and consumer materials; they will be also supported by an additional package of social care – consultations and cooperation, including access to healthcare services, education etc. However, child benefitsreceived by the teenage mothers’ parents will be stopped. On the other hand I intend to propose an annual sum, equal to the one, taken away from the grandparents, to be provided for those teenage moms, who visit school.”

English version: Zhivko Stanchev