Association of Patients with Facial Abnormalities and their Parents – ALA, Plovdiv 

Aim: The aim of the project is to provide qualitative prevention of abandonment of children with disabilities and facial abnormalities through creating a parent’s network for countenance. The role of the parents-for-contact will be to listen to the parents of new born babies with disabilities and to provide them with understanding, advice and information needed for raising children with disabilities. 
Activities: Parents of children with disabilities will be trained and prepared so that they will give psychological support to parents of new born babies with disabilities. After a training conducted by experts in overcoming a psychological trauma and careful psychological evaluation parents-for-contacts will receive special cards and all materials needed for their engagement. They will be prepared how to react according to the concrete needs of the new parents. An algorithm for action in the case of a new born baby with disability will be developed based on the algorithm for babies born with facial abnormality. A team of experts will define the steps needed when a baby with disability is born and a written document with general conclusions will be produced. The model will be presented to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Policy, the State Agency for Child Protection and other institutions. 
Target groups: The project is targeted at children born with disabilities and facial abnormalities and their families, medical specialists at neonatology and maternity hospitals in the country. 
Grant: 41 864 leva 
Contacts: Jana Angelova 
Plovdiv 4002 
66, Pechtersko chausse Bul., fl. 3 
Surgical Clinics, Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery Ward 
Tel/ fax: +359 32 60 29 35 
office@ala-bg.org  
www.ala-bg.org