Seven specialists, headed by the Director of the Center for Public Support in Nessebar – Mrs. Nana Sakchkova, visited the services of “Equilibrium” in Ruse.

Professionals commented on different challenges in providing social services and exchanged knowledge and impressions. The guests were interested especially in the Emergency Admissions Unit at the Ruse Center for Public Support, as they have such a unit with a capacity for two. They took advantage of the long-standing practice of their colleagues in Ruse, as the unit has existed for 12 years as part of the Social Services Complex and as it is an important part of the success in the process of closing down the children’s institutions in Ruse. Under the flexible management of “Equilibrium” emergency reception took the need for short-term accommodation of babies or mothers with babies in the active phase of deinstitutionalization in Ruse. This made it possible to find foster families for children or to improve living conditions and relationships in biological families so that they can go home. This experience was useful for the specialists in Nessebar because they are now in the process due to the active closure of the House of Medical and Social Care in Burgas with the leading role of “Hope and Homes for Children” – Bulgaria Branch. Of particular interest were the “Blue Room” and the process of listening to children with problems with the judicial system, as well as the innovative service of “Equilibrium”, part of a project of the National Children’s Network – Children’s Rights Center. Of course, the main event was the visit to Bulgaria’s first interactive family center “In the World of Early Childhood”. Interesting ideas were discussed about using elements of philosophy and learning from the principles of the center in the work of our colleagues from the Center for Public Support in Nessebar.