A total of 26 participants – parents, professionals and institutional representatives – took part in the roundtable “A Social Contract for Early Childhood – From Shared Experiences to Shared Solutions”, held on 13 November at the International Youth Centre in Ruse.
The event was organised with the partnership of Ruse Municipality, to whom we extend our thanks for their support and commitment, as well as to the team of the International Youth Centre for their warm hospitality and for providing the venue.
The roundtable was opened by Ms Pavleta Yordanova, Head of the Social Activities Department at Ruse Municipality. Representatives of kindergartens in Ruse, a Montessori centre, social services and the Municipality’s Early Childhood Development team actively participated in the discussion.
During the event, we briefly presented the “A Social Contract for Early Childhood” project and the results of our work with parent groups in the villages of Kosharna and Sandrovo and in the city of Ruse. We shared some of the needs, challenges and proposals identified by parents during the civic forums.
The online contributions of Savelina Rusinova from the For Our Children Foundation and representatives of the Association of Parents of Young People with Intellectual Disabilities “Parallel World” – Plovdiv, were particularly valuable. These included the association’s Chairperson, Kremena Stoyanova, and young participant Lazhar Stoyanov.
With sincerity and clarity, Lazhar shared what matters most for children and young people to grow and develop and lead fulfilling lives: family and support, opportunities for sports and activities that build skills and independence, friendships, and people who accept them as they are. His message reminded us all that when we talk about support, we must first and foremost listen to children and young people themselves.
Parents from the Association of Parents of Children and Adults with Autism – Ruse also took an active part. They shared their impressions of the meetings held so far within the project, as well as their experiences of connecting with parents and young people from “Parallel World” – Plovdiv. These encounters demonstrate the importance of mutual support, shared experiences and opportunities for families to meet others who understand what they are going through.
During the discussion, participants agreed on several key needs and priorities for development:
- Accessible and reliable information – a common platform is needed to provide up-to-date information about available services and professionals across different systems, including healthcare, social services, education and others.
- Timely support and guidance for parents – there is a need for early assistance, accessible consultations and initiatives such as parenting programmes.
- Changes in education and professional training – improvements are needed from the earliest stages of children’s education, as well as in the academic training of future professionals. Educators also need support, ongoing training and supervision.
- Developing emotional intelligence from early childhood – skills such as understanding emotions, communicating and building relationships should be nurtured both within the family and in nurseries and kindergartens.
These proposals highlight not only specific gaps, but also the need for stronger connections between families, professionals, services and institutions.
All ideas, recommendations and proposals shared during the roundtable will be further organised and analysed. They will contribute to the development of the “Social Contract for Early Childhood” – a document that aims to bring together parents’ voices, professional experience and institutional commitment around shared solutions for a better start in life for every child.
We would like to thank all participants for their openness, active engagement and willingness to share their experiences. Our thanks also go to Ruse Municipality for its partnership and to the International Youth Centre – Ruse for hosting the event.
Because giving every child a good start in life is a shared responsibility. And shared solutions begin with the willingness to listen to one another.
The project “A Social Contract for Early Childhood” is implemented by the For Our Children Foundation, in partnership with Equilibrium Association – Ruse and the Free Youth Centre Association – Vidin. The National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) is an associated partner.
The project is supported by the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme, Civic Engagement and Transparency Fund (CETF) 2024–2029.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and participants and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Governments of Switzerland and Bulgaria.
