The goal of the Regional Foster Care Centre in Stara Zagora is to establish and develop a stable model of Foster Care at a regional level. Samaritans Organization and the British NGO ARK-Bulgaria have signed a partnership agreement in 2006 for Foster Care services development. Stara Zagora Municipality has been attracted for a partner as well and is continuing to support the foster care development nowadays.

Foster Care team within Samaritans Organization has been established in 2007. The team was trained by the international consultants, experts in Foster Care Kristian Kjelberg (Sweden) and Eva Ward (Great Britan). The first official Foster Care campaign called “Foster me!” has been launched in 2007. After one-year hard work and very good results achieved by the team, the Samaritans organization have been acknowledged as worthy organization by UNICEF.

In January 2008 the biggest world organization that protects children rights – UNICEF became partner of Samaritans Organization and ARK – Bulgaria. After signing a partnership agreement with UNICEF, the activities of the Foster Care team expanded on regional level. In this way the first Region Foster Care Centre in the country, managed by Samaritans Organization was established. The working model of the Regional Centre was multiplied in other 8 regions in Bulgaria – Sofia Region, Sofia town, Pernik, Smolyan, Gabrovo, Targovishte, Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen.

The specific activities developed by the Foster Care team are as follows: recruiting, training and giving professional support to Foster Care families.

In result of the activities the following results has been achieved so far:

• The community of Stara Zagora Region is well informed about Foster Care; there are advertisements in most of the municipalities of the region;

• More than 100 000 materials and 20 000 coloring children books with child stories has been distributed;

• There is a mobile informational center placed at different strategic public places in the town and functioning from end March till October;

• 29 families have become foster families Foster Care applicant have been trained;

• 23 children have been fostered; support and regular visits are given to the families;

• The capacity of the Organization’s management team has been improved in order to manage successfully the model of the Foster Care Regional Centre;

• There is a financial mechanism that also contributes to the good quality of the services offered;

• External organizational consultant is working with the organization’s management team;

• The human resources and administrative mechanisms are improved;

• Written procedures and internal documentation system related to Foster Care methodology are developed;

• Local consultant is working with the team of the Regional Foster Care Centre (RFCC);

• Foster Care financial standard is developed and proposed to the authorities involved in the process;

• There have been meetings held in terms of advocacy and lobbing for foster care unified standard;

• RFCC is removed to the CSCFC building;

• Trainers are trained within the Foster Care team in RFCC;

• Good Foster Care practices and working mechanisms are popularized all over the
country;

• Foster Care manual is developed and established;

• There have been experience exchange meetings with other organizations interested in Foster Care;

• Good practices are applied to approved foster families in the region;

HUMAN RESOURCES
Variable number of specialists is working in the Centre depending on the financing and the number of the clients.

FINANCIAL PLAN
The annual budget of the Centre is reduced depending of the approved for financing projects.