Plovdiv social workers enhance support for at-risk families

A conference in Plovdiv highlighted the results of the project ‘Strengthening Social Work and the Capacity of Professionals in the Social Sector’. The initiative aims to create a coordinated model of support involving social workers, teachers, and educational mediators to assist children and families in difficult situations.

The project is implemented by the Know-How Center for Alternative Child Care at New Bulgarian University, with support from UNICEF and in partnership with the Sofia Municipality and the municipalities of Plovdiv and Kazanlak. It includes a training program adapted to the Bulgarian context, followed by a long-term supervision process.

Key outcomes include improved cooperation between specialists across different sectors and locations. Veselina Boteva, Director of the Social Policy Directorate at Plovdiv Municipality, emphasized that children and families do not reside within single administrative boundaries, necessitating a unified approach between social and educational systems to ensure clear responsibilities and effective intervention.