Every family has its joyful and difficult moments. Each of us has been through difficult situations related with children, youth, parents, and older people in the family. Some problems might be sorted out with the support of relatives and friends. There are also cases when some help from health specialists, educational institutions, social services or other agencies could be necessary.
The Family group conference is a way to find solutions to various problems when children, parents, members of the extended family, friends come together to make a plan. It is based on an old traditional and easy to understand concept – the power of the family circle. The family conference provides an opportunity chance for the family to get together, mobilise its own strengths and resources and to make the best possible plan to overcome the problems of a child or another member of the family. The members of the family take the decisions and the responsibilities. The professionals do not decide – they provide the necessary information, support and services. The model is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Convention and the Convention on the Rights of People with disabilities.
Tulip Foundation laid the fundament for the application of the method Family Group conference in Bulgaria in 2011 with the Trust in the Family Programme with partnership of the Netherlands’ organisation Eigen Kracht Centrale. Since the same year Tulip Foundation is an active member of the EU FGC network.
In 2016 Tulip Foundation started to provide targeted funding for organisations that are trained to apply the method and have accepted the “Family Group Conferences: Principles and practical guidelines” document. In the coming months they are going to organise family Conferences for families that they work with or are referred to them by Child Protection Department, schools, GPs, other families etc.
These organisations have been trained and have accepted the “Family Group Conferences: Principles and practical guidelines” document. They work with skillful independent coordinators. The team of Tulip Foundation will provide them with grants, opportunities for exchange of experience with colleagues from Bulgaria and Europe, additional trainings, information and advice.
Our partners and we share the belief that Trust in the family has the power to change lives of people. If you donate 200 BGN, you can help partially and for a short time, but you cannot change the life of a child or a family. If you invest 200 BGN in a Family Group Conference for the same family, you can help them to make their own plan, to mobilise support and improve sustainably their children’s lives for many years ahead.
We will match every single donation and our partners in the country will help tens of families to make their plans and to provide good care for their children!
