Special measures against child abandonment to be introduced

In case a child is born with disabilities, the chief hospital physicians from the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology are obliged to inform the parents of the malformations in the presence of a psychologist and afterwards notify the Social Assistance Directorates about the case. This is envisaged in the special measures drafted against the abandonment of children with disabilities in the new Bill on Child Protection, presented yesterday by Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Valentina Simeonova. Social Assistance Services will be, in their turn, involved in providing detailed information to the relatives of the newborn for its future care. Besides, they will be informed about their legal rights and about the services they can use. The bill will oblige medical specialists in maternity wards to do their utmost to motivate parents not to abandon their baby if it is born with a health problem.

GPs who become aware of a risk of baby abandonment, will be also obliged to inform immediately the Social Assistance Directorates. A new regulation will also ban the placement in orphanages of children under the age of two. Leaving a child up to 8 years of age unattended will be penalised with a fine worth up to BGN 1,000. Only in 2010, the State Agency for Child Protection handled overall 40 cases of children left without supervision and care, substantiated herself Deputy Prime Minister Valentina Simeonova. According to her, the lack of control on the part of parents is hiding huge risks. Therefore, the bill provides for fines worth BGN 300 -500 in case of a first offense. For repeated violation, the penalty amount increases from BGN 500 to BGN 1000 and in case of a third offence, the Prosecution should be notified by a correspondence file. The bill also envisages that multidisciplinary teams of psychologists, social workers and police officers should collaborate on cases referring to child victims of abuse or exploitation.

Прочети цялата новина

Свързани новини: