Tulip Foundation organised a working meeting for representatives of the organisations funded in the frame of the Programme for support for children and families in the community aimed at prevention of child institutionalisation. The meeting took place on 20-21 December in Sofia. The aim of the meeting was to provide a forum for the participants to share information; to identify new ideas for work with children and families in the community and needs for additional support for their realisation.

The participants shared up to date information about the development of their projects as well as main successes and difficulties in reaching the goals during the first year.

A special session was devoted to discuss the feedback information and impressions from a study visit to Barnardos Ireland in November. The colleagues shared what they have learned there and what could be applied in Bulgaria as well as what additional support would they need to relies their plans.

The second day of the meeting was organised in partnership with Oak Foundation and all civil organisation supported by Oak Foundation in Bulgaria joined the meeting.

Zvezdelina Atanassova and Margarita Tsoneva from Karin dom Foundation, Varna presented a new approach for work with a focus on the family which lays in the base of a current project implemented by the foundation.

Nevena Madjarova from NGO Club Targovishte presented the impressions of the work of Barnardos Ireland with children and families in the community on behalf of a group of representatives of civil organisation who spent a few days on a study visit.

Valentina Simeonova, Deputy Minister of Social Policy joined the working meeting. She presented the position of the Ministry regarding the prevention work and the process of deinstitutionalization in Bulgaria. Mrs. Simeonova underlined the importance of planning of complex integrated services including mobile services. The participants raised their questions and presented their comment and recommendations. The attention was drawn to the sustainability of the created innovative services for children and families in the community.