Our Children
Kids Care's children, who found safe caring families, are now 79!
The names have been changed to protect identity.
Viv was born to a single mother in a town near Varna. She was initially breast fed but moved on to formula milk later on. She has no father registered on the birth certificate. Her mother declared her wish to leave her for adoption immediately after birth and was placed with a foster family.
She is healthy, born of normal pregnancy with average birth weight. She has no physical or neurological problems. One of her eyes opens less than normal. She reacts to sounds and can follow objects with her eyes.
Viv is gaining weight well and sleeps better during the day than at night. She developed a mild cough in the first week when she was placed with the foster family, which cleared off quickly. Her mother signed a declaration giving up her parental rights so Viv was put on the adoption register.
After giving birth the mother said she refused to take care of the child; six months earlier she lost one of her other children following a viral infection at the age of one. After what happened the parents split up and the mother found out she was four months pregnant. According to the mother, the father is unable to look after his children. The mother has financial difficulties and is hardly coping to up bring her older child. There are no relatives who are capable or willing to take care of the newborn.
The child is in good condition, responds adequately to stimulation. He was born from third pregnancy not following the normal mechanism. The muscle norm is normal and so is the neonatal reflex. There are no visible abnormalities. He was placed in an oxygen chamber after delivery. There are signs for neonatal hypoglycemia. After treatment administered the child's condition improved. He has good food tolerance and is gaining weight. He was discharged in good condition but should be supervised by a neonatologist and a GP as it is risky newborn.
Update 01/09/2015
Ariel had a mild cough in this period and his foster family provided adequate care. He is calm and loves bathing. He manages to keep his head up during tummy time. He’s able to trace an object and keeps his eyes on familiar faces. He’s responsive to loud sounds.
Update 01/10/2015
Ariel is up to date with all necessary vaccinations. He is calm and has good nights sleep. There are no signs of a delayed neuro psychological development
Update 01/12/2015
Ariel is taking Vigantol as prescribed by a GP against rickets. He smiles at foster parents when they speak to him. He focuses his eyes on bright and shiny objects. The mother has finally signed a declaration withdrawing from parental rights and the adoption documents are being prepared to enroll the child in the adoption register.
Update 01/02/2016
Ariel is gaining weight very well and currently weighs 6.5kg. He responds to his foster parents’ speech and is actively turning his head towards familiar faces. He is calm and plays with toys for good periods of the day. He can also recognise the close family circle members and interacts with them. The adoption register documents were submitted and awaiting approval.
Nora was born second, untracked pregnancy. She was born in a hospital in the town of Targovishte with extremely low weight 950g and 36cm height. She spent a month and a half in intensive care until she gained weight after which she was admitted as outpatient in the Premature Babies Ward. According to the experts, she has specific disorders in the motor skills and cardiac thrill.
Nora is behind the neuro-psychological development for her age. She can focus on a bright object, and in the face of an adult for a short time.
Nora feels good in the foster family, gaining weight and height. She smiles when her foster parents speak to her. The family is trying to accommodate Nora, both emotionally and medically.
Update 01/10/2015
Nora prefers to feed facing down as this is how she was fed whilst in the care home. She had conjunctivitis but after a prescribed treatment she is already healthy. A scan showed that she had an opening in her cerebellum which could affect her psychological development but a second scan showed that it had closed. She continues to gain weight, focuses on a speaking person and tries to attract attention on herself. She sleeps tight during the night, focuses her attention on immobile objects and can trace moving ones with her eyes and head. She is included in the Adoption register and there is a family showing interest in her.
Update 01/11/2015
Nora has made great progress with her weight gaining 1050gr over a month only. She is following a personalised vaccination schedule. She can recognise her foster mother’s voice. Nora plays with the towel after bathing and the bottle during feeds; she reacts differently to various sounds trying to find their source. The scheduled meeting with the adoption candidates has not happened yet as they refused to meet the child.
Update 01/12/2015
The foster family has started to wean Nora with baby purees and she enjoys it very much. She had her first one of ten vaccinations for premature babies. She smiles and goos at people speaking to her. Nora places her hands in her mouth and plays with toys which have been placed close to her body.
Update 01/02/2016
Nora was adopted.
Adoption
Melisa is Ellen’s sister. Their aunt reported in 2010 that the children were being neglected by their parents. They were taken in the orphanage in Varna. Their mother visited them periodically, whilst the father has permanently declined all contacts. Both parents are unable to meet their core needs, due to their low social status and limited parental capacities.
Since the children were placed in foster family, they quickly improved their psycho-emotional being, and provided them with an adequate family environment, where their personal growth and development is adequately supported.
Update 01/04/2015
Currently, Melisa is healthy. Her global motor skills are within norm. She has good movement abilities and coordination. She attends dancing classes with her sister.
Melisa has a positive emotional tonus, being cheerful and spontaneous in her reactions. She has some problems regulating negative emotions. She gets into conflict with her sister sometimes. She has not yet developed adequate conflict resolution skills. She sometimes resorts to verbal and physical aggression against her sister. The arguments between them are usually about their belongings.
Melisa’s fine motor skills are well-developed for her age. She plays skilfully with play-dough. She draws very well for her age. She performs excellently in arts and crafts class. Melisa can recognise and name the main geometric shapes. Her linguistic awareness, related to understanding special relationships, are within norm. She has good comprehension of qualitative and quantitative interactions. Her concentration span is well-developed. Her memory capacity is average for her age.
Melisa’s logical thinking, as well as her analytic skills, are well-developed for her age. She can perform basic logical tasks such as comparison, analysis and synthesis, as well as practical visual-action thinking. She demonstrates rich imagination when drawing or using play-dough materials. She has original ideas and is creative. The non-verbal component of her intelligence tests points at good visual-motor coordination, special awareness and heuristic skills.
Update 01/06/2015
Recently Melisa and her sister met with a prospective adoptive family. Despite Melisa’s initial resistance against being adopted and her refusal to meet the candidate adoptive family, she eventually consented to becoming acquainted with them.
Introductory meetings took place in the course of a whole week, during which Melisa grew fond of the family and stated that she would like to be adopted by them. At present, they meet through skype every week, and share with one another their daily experiences. Melisa is looking forward to moving to Italy and often asks when this would take place.
Melisa finished her third school year with an average grade of “C”. She attending Italian lessons during the summer holiday. She is learning new words quickly. She makes bracelets and other hand-made jewellery for the members of her foster family.
Update 01/07/2015
Melisa is now adopted in Italy. Best of luck, dear!
Update 01/04/2015
Currently, the child is healthy. She suffers sometimes from acute respiratory disease. All required immunisations have been made. Ellen’s gross motor development is within the norm. Motor skills such as running, climbing, kicking and throwing are well-developed. The child has good motor and coordination abilities. From the beginning of November, she has been attending dancing classes.
Ellen has a positive emotional tonus. She is usually settled, and does not express extreme emotions. She sometimes goes into conflict with her sister. When this happens, she seeks support from her foster parents, in order to resolve the conflict. The conflicts are usually over objects/belongings. Symbiotic attachment disturbances are still observable, together with fear of being exposed and negatively evaluated. Different psychosomatic disturbances are also observed at times, such as stomach aches and general discomfort, which are believed to be Ellen’s attempt to attract attention and get her needs met.
Her behaviour seems to be directed towards earning the love of adults, at all costs, and she takes a submissive and a “victim” role. The cognitive-emotional deficit is characterised by disproportionate emotional reactivity and emotional expression, related to her demonstrating extreme vulnerability, which take over her capacity to think rationally about the situation at hand and impacts negatively on her information processes strategies.
Ellen’s fine motor movements are within norm. She can colour figures without drawing out of the figure outlines. When she draws figures, they are simplified and lacking in detail. She recognises basic geometrical figures. She has good spatial perception of her own body, of external objects and her body and of external objects in relation to one another. Good concentration skills are observed. Her attention can be easily captured and maintained. Her ability to divide her attention is average for her age. Her memory processes appear to be labile. She appears to confabulate at times. Her short-term memory is average for her age, as is her associative memory. She appears to experience some difficulties in retaining and recalling information.
Update 01/06/2015
Ellen and her sister recently met with a prospective adoptive family from Italy. She did not behave with any resistance during this encounter, and appeared eager to have a mother and a father. She quickly established a connection with the prospective adoptive family. At present, she meets them via Skype on a weekly basis, during which the family, Ellen and her sister talk about their recent experiences.
Ellen finished her second year at school with an average grade of “C”. She is talking Italian lessons during the summer break. She appears to learn new words more slowly than her sister.
Update 01/07/2015
Ellen is now adopted in Italy. Goodbye and good luck, sweet heart!
Adoption
Maxim is the oldest of the three children – his sister is Vanesa and his brother Mario. He lived in a care home in Poland between 2011 and 2013. When the family returned to Bulgaria, they were taken in a care home in Varna.
He’s fairly stable emotionally. He follows the rules and completes the tasks he’s given. He presses too hard on the sheet of paper when he writes and fills it colours in a manner suggesting supressed emotions and anxiety. He doesn’t build new relationships easily and doesn’t trust others. He always looks down at the floor, indicating a complex of inferiority and guilt.
Our focus is to help Maxim increase his concentration span, self-awareness, self-realisation and communication skills.
Update 01/10/2015
Visible results from the adenotomy carried out in April (dissection of a gland). During the summer his appetite and quality of sleep have improved. Maxim has become a very good goalkeeper when playing football. In his new foster family he became good friend with their biological son (18 years old) and plays a lot of cognitive games together with him.
Maxim’s biological parents initially stated that they wanted to take back three of their children and that was the expectation of them. However they did not do that and as a result the relationship with them has deteriorated. Lack of motivation to study has been noted at the beginning of the school year partly due to unavailable learning opportunities and resources beforehand.
Behaviour has changed in school. In his new foster family the child receives support from his foster mother and her biological son and they are trying to compensate some of the deficits. Currently the goal is reintegration, however in the last one year the biological parents do not demonstrate a good capacity to cope and have not developed their parenting skills. Maxim meets them every three weeks as agreed.
Reintegration
Janet is a single child, left at the care of her grandparents since birth. They have 7 children themselves and provide for them by recycling paper which they pick from the garbage bins. Janet was found wandering alone at the age of 10 and was placed in the care home “Gavrosh”.
Janet is calm when meeting strangers, but she doesn’t initiate contact herself. She has no emotional bond with her mother but is attached to her mother’s siblings. She barely speaks Bulgarian.
She is now registered at school and attends regularly. The settling period is ongoing. She’s naturally curious and eagerly participates in all household activities with the granddaughter of her foster mother.
Update 01/10/2015
Janet reached significant developmental milestone – she had her first menstruation. Substantial change in the quality of the relationship with her biological mother.
Due to regular Skype meetings, attitude has changed towards making joint plans for the future. Relationships with extended biological family have improved. Good start at the beginning of the school year due to intensive work done with a psychologist and a speech and language therapist during the summer school. This has positively influenced Janet’s self-esteem and self-worth and as a result her relationships with other students have improved. Janet’s biological mother is expected to return from Germany at the beginning of December so that the child can have her birthday together with her biological parents.
Reintegration
Mario is the smallest of the 3 children, his siblings are Vanesa and Maxim. He lived in a care home in Poland between 2011 and 2013. When the family returned to Bulgaria, they were taken in a care home in Varna.
Mario was born from a high risk pregnancy, resulting in him suffering from epilepsy and mental retardation. He started walking when he was 1y 7m and is still unstable. He has high anxiety and is not capable to play with toys or keep concentrated for longer than 5min.
Since in our foster family work hard to control his anger bursts and help him recognise and express his physiological needs. His foster mother reads many stories to him and his communication skills are starting to improve.
Update 01/10/2015
Following a referral, the child has been seen by a neurologist at the beginning of Sep 2015. The results of the assessment confirmed:
Neurological status – normal muscle tone and reflexes, no pathology noted. Decreased fine motor skills, motor dyslalia (inability to articulate comprehensible speech), and borderline intellectual abilities. Significant progress in child overall development has been noted. Most visible outcome is social communication. Less chaotic and more organised behaviour, increased attention and concentration. The child is in first group in a kindergarten. Initially the child was very anxious and presented with aggressive behaviour, however at the end of the period the adaptation was successfully completed. The child is able to point at and name objects and interactions in a photo. He knows his age and can show this using his fingers. Mario can point at his eyes, mouth, ears. He is curious and asks a number of questions. He can distinguish red and green, however does not verbally name these two colours. His vocabulary has increased. Mario is struggling to imitate other’s behaviour when requested. Currently the goal is reintegration, however in the last one year the biological parents do not demonstrate a good capacity to cope and have not developed their parenting skills. Mario meets them every three weeks as agreed.
Reintegration
Update 01/10/2015
The most significant change for Sawyer during this period is accepting the idea of and changing his attitude about living together with his brother Gavin. Sawyer has been severely affected by a serial separation. He clearly stated that for him there is no other significant adult except his father. Sawyer’s resistance attitude towards his brother is the result of perceived preferential treatment of his brother in the biological family. Unconditional love from foster mother and equal treatment towards both brothers removed the resistance attitude.
The support he received from his classmates (former class) has played a very important role in his well-timed adaptation. The child seems to be very ambitious. He is able to self-direct his learning and prepare for his lessons independently. His academic achievements are excellent. He is interested in robotics, sings in a boy choir in Varna city and his most enjoyable hobby is drawing.
Connections with relatives (mother’s side – uncle, aunt and grandfather) have been re-established.
Gavin is the smallest of the 3 children, with his brother Sawyer. Their mother did not work and their father had a profitable business. They divorced in 2008 and the children stayed with their mother, who neglected them completely. They moved to live with their father, whose second wife looked after them well. Since their father’s death in 2014, the children were taken by the grandparents. The boys stayed with the father’s parents and were physically abused, so they were taken into care by the Social Services. Their sister stayed with their mother’s father.
Gavin is quiet and emotionally unstable. He isolates himself, gets upset easily and quarrels with his brother frequently. He hasn’t overcome his dad’s loss yet. He’s unable to overcome the negative emotions and is lacking communication skills.
Since we took the children in foster care, Gavin started developing a better relationship with his brother and compromises in their games . He has a strong bond with his sister and eagerly expects to see her in his previous school, where he recommenced his attendance. He’s starting to bond also with the foster parents and settles well at school.
Update 01/10/2015
Some notable positive behavioural changes have been observed such as mature response when collaborating with others, increased independence, making informed decisions. Gavin is the youngest child in the biological family and it appears that he has been ‘spoiled’ as a result of that, therefore his brother Sawyer has built some resistance attitude towards him. He easily accepts the new rules in the new foster family, however struggles to follow them. He is now able to move further from his role of being a ‘little upset boy’ in his relationship with his brother. This is due to the support given by a psychologist and his foster parents.
Gavin easily trusts others. When with previous foster family, his motivation to study and academic achievements were lower. Currently living with his brother and seeing his achievements appears to be an effective behavioural catalyst for Gavin. Connections with relatives (mother’s side – uncle, aunt and grandfather) have been re-established.
Permanent foster care
Vanesa is the second of three children. Her family settled in Poland in 2011. The Polish Social Services took the children into care due to the neglect and risk at their home. The family returned to Bulgaria in 2013, where the paternal mother sent them away and didn’t want to share her home with them. Shortly after, they were also thrown out of the place they were renting, because the 3 children were making noise. Four months later, the children were taken into an orphanage. Vanesa had scabies.
Shortly after Vanesa was placed in our foster family, she had to be hospitalised for 5 days due to severe problems with her teeth. She sucks on her thumb continuously and has high anxiety. She has no hygiene habits. Her fine motor skills are delayed. She struggles with communication, due to the period in care in Poland where she didn’t understand the language and nobody helped her learn and communicate. Her cognitive skills are also delayed.
Vanesa started nursery and quickly started to compensate the deficiencies. She seeks approval and is tries very hard. She helps with the housework and this makes her feel involved and important. She’s starting to acquire hygiene habits.
Update 01/10/2015
Vanesa permanent teeth are gradually replacing primary teeth. Children had to be placed in a new foster family due to neglect. The so called ‘getting to know’ meetings with a new foster carer take place every weekend in October. Vanesa seems to be getting a warm emotional response that she needs. In her biological family she has been neglected as a girl as looking after boys was a priority.
The previous foster carer did not seem to treat Vanesa fairly, was emotionally unavailable and used to punish her. The child is in a second preparatory group. She is doing really well, demonstrates good organisational skills within the group. The class teacher has reported that Vanesa is very responsible. Currently the goal is reintegration, however in the last one year the biological parents do not demonstrate a good capacity to cope and have not developed their parenting skills. Vanesa meets them every three weeks as agreed.
Reintegration
Update 01/10/2015
On 14.10.2015 an EEG (electroencephalogram) was carried out and the child was seen by a neurologist. Results: normal neurological status; motor alalia (underdevelopment of the speech when normal hearing is present); attention deficit and hyperkinetic disorder; neurological contraindication to immunisation NF 621. Child to continue Convulex chrono intake (active substance – sodium valporade) as prescribed. The child started attending school (second preparatory group). The new environment and daily routine are a challenge for Valentin. He is learning new skills such as interpersonal effectiveness at school. At the same time Valentin continues his weekly Skype meetings with the new adopting family. They have established a good emotional connection with each other. Valentin’s contact with other people has increased. During summer time usually social opportunities are quite limited. The child is skilful in adding and subtracting numbers to 10 independently. Handwriting skills are in progress. He has started to learn words and phrases in Italian, initially with the help of a psychologist and the adopting family, later on with his foster mother. He has started making plans for his future in relation to the new place he will be going at.
Adoption
Amelia’s mum has not been seen by any healthcare professionals during her pregnancy and this was the seventh pregnancy for her. Normal deliver, first measurements after birth were as follows: weight 2650 gr, height 47 cm. Full-term pregnancy, no signs of congenital malformations were noted at birth. During her admission on a Neonatology Ward, the child was given oxygen in set doses and her state has been monitored. Peripheral venous cannulation was used for therapeutic purposes.
Following admission, child’s state was unstable, the rhythm of breathing was changeable, and the child is frequently vomiting and has got a rush which progresses to pustules. Intensive medical care was provided. As a result the state of the baby has improved. Amelia was formula fed and tolerated the food. All relevant vaccinations were given according to Bulgarian vaccination guideline. Her belly button was too high up, therefore the GP indicated that by placing a plaster on it. The skin around the belly button was slightly damaged. Sometimes Amelia throws up water and milk through her nose. According to baby’s GP this was not a significant concern.
Update 01/10/2015
Amelia had another health check on 14.9.2015 and a vaccination was given then. On that day her weight was 4.30 kg. During the last few weeks Amelia had colics. When being fed she is also given herbal drops to relief the gripe. Currently no signs of physical developmental delay have been noted and the child is reaching the developmental milestones.
When being held, Amelia is able to extend her neck and keep head up. The child can extend her fingers or makes a fist. Amelia is in a good emotional state. The adaptation in her foster family is going well and she is gaining weight. She is awake most of the time and likes to be hand held. All family members who live in the house are keen to look after the baby. They take her out for a walk, cuddle her, take her to bed and sing for her. The child is able to recognise the voice of her foster mum and smiles when she hears or see her.The child is reaching the developmental milestones. The adaptation in her foster family is going well and she is gaining weight. Currently no signs of neuro-psychological developmental delay have been noted. The child can produce guttural sounds, extend her neck and keeps her head up when hand held. She smiles and responds lively to sounds and cuddling. .
At a meeting with a social worker from the Child Protection Department, Amelia’s biological mother stated that she works in Poland. The mum has expressed her intention to save money and come back in Bulgaria in January 2016 when she will buy a house and provide adequate care for Amelia and her brothers. Her brothers are being looked for by their grandmother.
Reintegration
Update 01/10/2015
Nina is formula fed and has got a full set of necessary vaccine shots. During the first few days after admission skin rash and reddening of the face were noted. After taking prescribed medications and support from foster mother, the symptoms disappeared. Currently Nina is physically healthy and is reaching the developmental milestones. Nina’s height and weight are within normal range and she is currently 5.5 kg. Nina has been described as a calm baby. She spends most of her day sleeping. She responds with a smile when her foster mother is singing or talking gently to her. Nina likes going for a walk outside. Her foster mum regularly takes her out to local children’s playground.
When being held, Nina is able to stay upright and extend her neck and keep head up. She sometimes partly extends her fingers or makes a fist. Nina responds to sounds and smiles. She is able to recognise the face and voice of her foster mum.
It has been reported that a potential adopting family has seen the child, however till now they have not expressed an interest to see the child again.
Adoption
Nicole’s was born by a single and under aged mother. In 2008, following a tip off from her grandmother’s partner that the child was often left unattended for days by her mother who showed no interest in her and was missing for days she was placed by the social services in an orphanage. She has not been visited by the biological mother who has not sought her since then.
Nicole is a healthy child with no physical deficiency. She is independent and meets her personal hygiene and physiological needs. She had difficult settling into the nursery and this impacted her self-esteem. She copes well with the studies and particularly enjoys drawing. She has good verbal development, but struggles with Maths.
Nicole was seven when we took her in out care. She is involved in the household with cleaning and tidying up and settled well in the foster family. She built good friendships with a few of her class mates and her self-esteem is improving. She prefers to take on tasks she is confident with and is very self-critical when she fails at something. She likes group games. Her foster mother has provided all necessary materials for her to practise her arts hobby.
Update 01/02/2015
The foster family continues on to further develop hygienic and house work habits in Nicole which teaches her to be independent and improves her self esteem. She is happy to go to school and communicate with her classmates although unfamiliar people can only become part of her environment when she has made sure they are not a threat to her. Her foster mother has expressed some concerns that there aren’t many children of similar age in their neighbourhood but Nicole enjoys playing with younger children and looking after them. Nicole shows interest in new school and extra curriculum activities besides her favourite arts and crafts hobby.
Update 01/04/2015
Nicole continues to improve her good motor skills and coordination by climbing, running, kicking and throwing balls. She is calm and mild tempered showing different emotions. She has developed a good sense of her own body and its relation with the surrounding objects. Her eye sight is in norm for her age. Nicole can recognize the basic geometrical shapes. Her attention span is still fairly short.
Update 01/08/2015
Nicole is physically healthy, her development is in the norm for her age. She often plays with another foster child - Michael. She says he is a very good friend of hers. The children go for walks in the park, attend kids' events and sometimes do maths together. She can recognize left and right. She understands conversations. Finds similarities and differences. Her reading technique is fairly good. Nicole finished first grade with excellent grades. She likes to express herself by reciting poems or singing. She can use grid or parallel line notebooks. She knows the main professions. She can name their main characteristics. She can name seasons, parts of the day, days of the week - in order. She can draw conclusions. She has a long-term foster family arrangement because of the developed emotional bond between the child and the foster parents.
Update 01/10/2015
Nicole is currently in good health, and has no deficiencies in her motor skills. During a charity event, she received a present of a bicycle which she is currently learning to ride. For some time some anxiety has been observed linked to the status of the child. She is looking for assurance from her foster family. She is worried that her surname is different from those of the significant people in her life. She is struggling with maths and needs support. She recognises colours. She compares and differentiates objects. Ncole's teacher shares that she is highly motivated to manage and learn new things. She has been placed with the foster family long term as strong emotional connection has been built between her and her foster parents.
Update 01/04/2016
Nicole was eight years old last month. Her foster mother organised a big birthday party with many of her classmates being present on it. She chose the big birthday cake herself. Nicole is in her summer holidays period now. They go for walks and to the beach together with her foster parents. She can engage in conversations with adults and can read on her own. Nicole likes to recite poems and sing songs.
Nicole has a very strong bond with the foster family, so the Social Services recommendation is that she stays in foster care long-term.
Update 01/10/2015
Scott’s motor skills are well developed. He climbs up and down stairs, and plays football. He managed to bond well with the family due to adopt him. He calls them Mamma and Pappa. He looks forward to the Skype meetings and often asks questions related to his departure for Italy, saying he cannot wait for that to happen. He has already prepared his luggage and making plans for games and trips with his Italian family.
We placed Gary in our foster family when he was six years old. He comes from a Bulgarian family. His mother lives abroad, where she is believed to work in the sex industry. He does not wish to be in touch with her, despite the attempts she has made. His grandmother raised him up, but as she suffers from advanced diabetes and has undergone a leg amputation, she was unable to provide adequate care for Gary.
He is in good health with no physical developmental delays, but he is lagging behind in social development. He has been neglected by his grandmother for a long time and has not received the necessary attention and support. Deficits in his knowledge development have been observed.
Gary quickly started compensating his deficiencies with the support of the foster mother and the work with specialists. He is showing progress in his learning and is catching up with his previous delays. His memory skills are average for his age. His retention and retrieval memory skills are delayed, in comparison to his peers.
Update 01/04/2015
Gary is in his pre-school year, at a school close to the foster family home. His adaptation to the school environment is ongoing and he continues to feel unaccepted by the other children. This does not seem to have a negative impact on Gary’s emotional state. He is settled, with good emotional tonus. He seeks the support of his foster mother and receives it. He interacts and plays with other children, outside of his pre-school class. At the end of May this year he finishes pre-school and will be in Year 1 in the next academic year. Gary met with his grandmother twice after he was placed in foster care. He feels good in her presence and is keen on seeing her regularly.
Update 01/06/2015
Gary has a good emotional tonus. No signs of anxiety or overexcitement have been observed. He visits his grandmother regularly (according to a schedule created by the social workers) and he stays overnight. The meetings with his grandmother make him feel good and he is willing to spend more time with her. His foster family took him to a summer villa close to Varna for the summer holidays. He made new friends there and spent most of his time swimming.
Update 01/10/2015
Gary is in good health. His motor skills are well developed. He is due to start swimming.
He is in 1st grade and has adapted well and has made friends. He received many presents for his birthday, especially books and animal encyclopaedia which is currently a great interest of his. He continues to see his grandmother in the weekends and holidays. He is showing desire to see his mother, who lives abroad and has not expressed interest in seeing the child. He is doing very well at school and his abilities are within the normal range for his age. The plan is long term fostering while continuing the regular visits at his grandmother's home.
Long-term foster care
Colin was the 12th child of his mother and is the second of a pair of twins, born via C-section, weighting 2200gr. He had low birth weight and vomited frequently. When he was seen by a doctor, he was anaemic, malnourished and had hormonal misbalance due to dysfunction of the hypophysis. He was hospitalised urgently for Active Treatments, due to ongoing vomiting and diarrhoea. He was discharged 2 weeks later with the diagnoses of panhypopituitarism; being underweight at birth; hypotrophy. Colin was prescribed mandatory pharmacological treatment. Just a week later, the hospital reported to the Child Protection Office that Colin’s parents did not adhere to the prescribed medication regime, which had led to his condition deteriorating and him being hospitalized again. Following this second hospitalization, Collin’s parents stated that they are not able to look after Colin in the family environment, due to his re-current health deteriorations. Considering the need for ongoing pharmacological intervention and monitoring of Colin’s health condition, the child was moved into the Medico-social Care Home for Children in Varna.
Colin was placed in our foster family at the age of 3. Colin has been registered at and regularly seen by her local GP. He eats with help from hi s foster mother. During the adaptation period he was unsettled and did not allow any physical contact from adults. He is now settled and confident and enjoys cuddling with his foster mother.
Update 01/04/2015
The inflammatory processes are under control, the anemic syndrome is corrected and his hormonal indicators are within norm. Colin is currently adapting to his foster family and likes to call them mum and dad. He calls all other women “mum” too. Colin prefers to spend most of his time with his foster father and is unsettled when he’s away. Colin sucks on his thumb, rocks and cries for no apparent reason, but when cuddled and spoken to by his foster mother he is able to settle and return to his play activities.
The child has very poor vocabulary. His active and passive speech is delayed. Colin does not understand simple instructions and uses no more than 10 words, which he sometimes mispronounces. He does not have established skills and habits. He does not control his physiological needs, and noes not alert others to those. He can build a tower of 4 blocks. He does not arrange rings. He does not recognise different animals shown to him on a picture.
Update 01/06/2015
Colin was examined by an endocrinologist, who concluded that some of his blood indicators, which denote good health condition, are below the norm. His medication dosage was increased. Colin takes this medication daily, as it is needed to regulate his hormonal levels.
He recently met his biological parents. Colin does not seem to be aware of what role they play in his life and does not recognise them. He has started using more words in his vocabulary and can let others know when he needs to go to the toilet. He feeds with the assistance of an adult, as he is not able to hold the spoon properly and spills food over himself. His foster mother has been advised to let him feed himself on his own, when the food is solid, so that he can develop this skill. His paperwork has been submitted at a local nursery, which he is due to start attending in September.
Update 01/08/2015
Colin’s hormonal levels are normal. He controls his physiological needs and verbalises them clearly. He doesn’t recognise his biological parents as mum and dad when he meets them and is unsettled to be left alone with them.
Update 01/10/2015
Colin is showing good progress with his motor skills such as running, climbing, kicking and throwing. He is more stable and better coordinated. He currently attends nursery and has adapted well. He is a happy and lively child. He reacts well to praise and often prompts the adult to give him praise when a task has been completed. He addresses every female adult with 'Mum' but when reminded he changes that to 'Aunt' He is constantly seeking attention and affection from adults around him. He is able to name body parts and recognises some animals. He does not show much interest in books, prefers musical toys.
He met his biological parents several times, as well as his siblings placed in other foster families. The parents have expressed desire to look after all of their children, but lack the means. The family is not consistent and does not attend all meetings, and gives conflicting information about where they work and live.
Adoption
Alexander comes from a Roma family and wasn’t accepted by his father until he was 4. He was found homeless and begging with his cousin Lucy at the age of 3, with no adult around. They were placed temporarily in a care home. His mother is jobless and has no home or means to look after him. He is due to be registered for adoption.
Alexander is healthy and physically on track with his age development with good gross motor skills and coordination. He received all immunisations.
Update 01/04/2015
Alexander is unsettled and anxious, shown by the psychological tests “Choose the right face”. This is due to frustrations related to his lack of positive relationships, recognition and experiences. His writing is unclear. Uses his hands to do simple maths.
Update 01/06/2015
Alexander is scared to stay alone since the house of the foster parents was broken into. He’s developed a nervous tic – blinking with his eyes frequently. He attends private school holiday clubs and goes museums, sightseeing and has a lot of fun playing with the other children. He is now in the adaption register.
Update 01/08/2015
The nervous tic of blinking is still an issue. He stopped attending nursery for the summer. The foster mum’s mother helps the child to compensate the gaps in the school materials. He struggles with reading and story telling. He knows the months and the seasons, but has limited vocabulary.
Update 01/10/2015
Alexander is in good health. His behaviour is less impulsive and he strives harder to receive praise. He has difficulty coping with failure and always looks for approval from adults. Due to difficulties at school, he currently has one to one classes 3 times a week, and a weekly visit from a psychologist. He studies with dilligence and the work is yielding results. He is doing well with maths, but has difficulties with the Bulgarian language.
Lucy comes from a Roma family with no father on the birth certificate. She was found homeless and begging with her cousin Alexander at the age of 3, with no adult around. They were placed temporarily in a care home. Her mother is jobless and has no home or means to look after her. They’re due to be registered for adoption.
Lucy is healthy and physically on track with her age development and specifically advanced in gymnastics. She received all immunisations.
Update 01/04/2015
Our team are trying to secure a learning assistant for Lucy. She seeks to compensate for the lack of physical touch until now by constantly cuddling and staying close to our social workers. She is otherwise emotionally healthy with no extremes in her behaviour. She is anxious at school as her classmates have not accepted her and sometimes bully her. This has impacted her self esteem, leading to short concentration span. She struggles with maths. She is now in the adaption register.
Update 01/06/2015
Lucy attends private school holiday clubs. She attends museums, goes sightseeing and has a lot of fun playing with the other children. She struggles with reading comprehension and logical activities. Her vocabulary is limited and doesn’t recognise the clock.
Update 01/08/2015
Lucy had problems with her teeth and had a few fillings. She visits the foster parent’s mother in the village and really loves it there. She helps Lucy to catch up with the school curriculum.
Update 01/10/2015
Lucy has been in good health. She has been added to the Adoption Register. The foster mother has decided to adopt her, together with her first cousin Asen, who also lives with them. Both children are in the same class in 3rd grade. She is showing more perseverance in solving tasks but still requires additional support at school. She has one to one classes 3 times a week and one session with a psychologist.
Adoption
Yaleena is the third of the four children we placed as emergency. She doesn’t understand or speak Bulgarian very well. She has not attended nursery before.
She is not open to positive stimulation and attempts for building relationships. She only plays with her sister. She eats independently.
Yaleena was unsettled and quiet in the first days and suffered from the separation with her father and brothers. We’re working to encourage the child and help her feel safe and calm.
Update 01/10/2015
Irra is also adapting and socialising well. She’s started Reception class at school. She always splits everything she has in half and gives to Irra, even though now they both have plenty.
Irra is the only one of the four siblings, along with Nevton, Simon and Yaleena, whom the father does not accept as his own child. When their mother returned from abroad last year, she only took Irra with her for a few days and did not spend any time with the other children. Irra’s hair started to fall rapidly after the separation. Two months ago, their mother called and only wanted to speak with Irra, which resulted in the same loss of hair again.
Irra was insecure and quiet The first days with the during the first days of placement with the foster family. She’s very emotional about the separation with her father and her two brothers, who were placed with a different foster family, but copes better than her older sister Yaleena.
We’re working to reassure the child and help her settle in the new environment. She’s starting to participate in activities with the family and our social workers. She likes playing with her sister. The foster family helped her recognise and share her physiological needs.
Update 01/10/2015
Irra is also adapting well. She is more curious, communicative, attaching quickly. We have applied for her to start nursery. She can hold the pen but is unable to leave marks on the paper still. She recognises some of the colours.
Reintegration
Simon is the oldest of the four siblings, along with Nevton, Irra and Yaleena. Their father looked after them on his own. Their mother left two years ago and is presently abroad. They don’t have relatives to help with the child care, so the children looked after each other, while the dad was at work.
Simon counts to 20 but cannot count backwards. He recognises the letters but cannot blend them into words. He doesn’t know the days of the week, but can differentiate different shapes, compare objects, adds up numbers to 10 and has good logical thinking when he’s given sequences.
He’s very possessive with his toys and becomes aggressive if the other children attempt to touch them. Our psychologist helps them to learn to play together and resolve the sibling rivalry.
Update 01/10/2015
Simon is adapting at home and at school. He asks about the girls frequently. We have scheduled meetings with his father for reintegration.
Nevton, Simon, Irra and Yaleena are siblings. Their father looked after them on his own. Their mother left two years ago and is presently abroad. They don’t have relatives to help with the child care, so the children looked after each other, while the dad was at work.
Nevton has no established hygiene habits as he lived in a place with no running water. He respects his eldest brother. He doesn’t know how old he is or when he was born. His vocabulary is very limited. He has not attended a nursery before and has been socially discriminated.
He quickly adapted to the new environment. He eats independently and keeps tidy around himself. He was accepted well at school and he goes with enthusiasm. He struggles to keep up with the study materials, so the Social Services applied for a learning assistant.
Update 01/10/2015
Nevton is adapting and socialising well. He learns to follow the house rules and routines, to work in a team, to communicate. We have scheduled meetings with his father for reintegration.
Reintegration
Lilyana lived in an institution for 5 years before she was placed with a foster family. She has emotional, physical and cognitive deficiencies. She has fundamental difficulties building relationships and is very insecure. Her mother has alcohol addiction and is incapable of looking after the child. They meet twice a year.
Long term foster care.
Update 01/04/2015
Lilyana has suicidal thoughts and deviant behaviour. She really struggles with the lack of interest from her mother. She’s significantly behind on her development and has a learning assistant. We are trying to organise a meeting with her mother.
Update 01/05/2015
Lilyana had a lovely summer holiday with the foster parents, learning to cook and become independent. She finished 5th grade and managed to get a pass on all subjects. The meeting with her mother went well and the child got some presents.
Update 01/08/2015
She is healthy and starting to look more feminine. She continues to visit a clinical psychologist and a specialist in youth issues. The sessions are helping her immensely. She is much calmer and has stopped stealing. She is much calmer at school too, as the children who bullied her have moved away. She is not focused at school, but she attends additional classes to help her learning. Her mother has shown interest in reintegration and even showed up at Lilyana’s birthday party.
Zvezda lived in a care home for 6 years from birth and has never had any contacts with the biological family.
When Zvezda (her name means Star) was first taken for matching meetings, the family did not feel that they are prepared to care for her. She took this very emotionally and was distressed. She is a very intelligent child, with good social behaviour, striving to please.
Update 01/09/2015
The adoption process for Zvezda has commenced and she has meetings with the adoptive parents. This makes her feel torn and insecure. She misses her foster mother, whom she spent the last 2 years with, when she is with her adoptive mother, and vice a versa. The school year has started, but she is facing a move to a new city and a new school. She went to the seaside with her adoptive mother. The adoption will be completed within a week.
Update 01/10/2015
Adopted. Live well, dear child.
Mira came from an orphanage. She has significant cognitive and physical delays. She also displays signs of attachment incapacity and avoids close relationships. Since moving in with her foster family Mira is trying to be liked, unfortunately she finds it extremely difficult to trust others.
Update 01/04/2015
Mira often gets angry and openly shows this with her foster parents. She wrote a letter to her mother telling her she misses her and loves her. Mira attends school but struggles academically.
Update 01/06/2015
It is the end of the school year! Mira finished the year with very good grades. This was a great surprise for her foster family and a fantastic achievement. Mira has been registered for international adoption, however, she says she would refuse it.
Update 01/09/2015
Mira started to wet herself again. Unlike before, she is now wetting during the day and not in the night. She started the school year and is a student in the 7th grade. She bought a new backpack. There is a newborn in her foster family - it's the grandchild of her foster mother.
Tanya lived in an orphanage before moving in with her foster family. She was withdrawn and kept herself isolated. She only sees her mother once a year and maintains virtual contact with her. Her mother lives abroad and does not want to take Tanya with her.
Update 01/04/2015
Tanya has a boyfriend! They have been dating for about a month. She has started to fall behind at school, especially at maths.
Update 01/06/2015
Tanya broke up with her boyfriend and managed to finish the school year with good grades. She has not met her mother even on Skype in the last 2 months.
Update 01/09/2015
The work of the Social Services on Tanya's social and emotional deficiencies is complete. She started the school year and is a student in the 7th grade. She wrote to her birth mother on Skype for her birthday.
This is the 11th pregnancy for the mother of the child. Normal delivery in a home environment.
Weight of the child at birth was 1.485 kg, height was 40 cm.
An hour after the delivery the child was admitted into a Specialised Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (intensive care ward) in Varna.
The child was diagnosed with the following:
● Low birthweight.
● Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS)
● Chorioamnionitis (intraamniotic infection).
● Rh disease (Rhesus isoimmunisation).
● Retinopathy.
● Congenital heart defect (CHD) – persistent arterial duct (PAD).
On 28.11.2011 the child was admitted into a care home (providing social and medical care).
Following mother’s request and permission from the Department of Child Protection (DCP) in Varna, the child and her sisters were granted home leave. The purpose of the home leave was to facilitate reintegration.
After a visit in the care home conducted by DCP - Varna representative, it was reported that the child’s health condition has deteriorated.
The child was then urgently admitted into Children’s resuscitation and intensive therapy unit in Saint Marina General Hospital in Varna.
The child was diagnosed with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM).
Until now the child was been raised in a care home institution. During her stay in the care home the child has been seeing a psychologist and a physiotherapist.
Currently the child is experiencing developmental delay. Decreased muscle tone (hypotonia muscular) was noted in both legs. Increased muscle tone (hypertonia muscular) was noted in both arms.
Speech and language development: the child utters intentional sounds at times; makes attempts to repeat short words, becomes vocal when experiencing certain emotions; screams. Gait is unstable, struggles to go up and down the stairs, requires physical assistance.
The child has feeding and swallowing disorder – no chewing reflex and no pharyngeal reflex (also gag reflex).
The child is able to understand basic instructions from an adult and prefers to communicate with selected others (children and adults).
The child experience chronic constipation.
Update 01/08/2015
The last check-up with the psychiatrist revealed that Dolly may have a form of autism. She’s hyperactive and anxious. She’s establishing a strong bond with the foster mother and her son. They go out for walks regularly and attend children’s groups. She is not able to speak but tries to make sounds and imitate words. Her walk is unstable, climbs up and down the stairs with difficulty, has no chewing reflex. She met her biological mother this month, who expressed her desire to take care for her, so we’re starting the process of reintegration.
Update 01/10/2015
We have prepared the documents for the commission which will assess the child for the level of disability. Dolly takes regular medicines for her psychological misbalance and her foster mother shares that she is visibly calmer and the affectivity has reduced. Her foster mother works hart to help her overcome her neuro-psychological deficiencies. They have started building a good emotional bond – Dolly seeks her attention and cuddles, they play role-based games and sing songs together. This has improved her vocabulary and understanding. We’re working on reintegration, but her biological mother doesn’t attend regularly.
Reintegration
This is sixth pregnancy for the mother, defined as a risky but went on to have normal pregnancy. This is the third normal delivery for the mother. Child -no obvious congenital abnormalities present from birth. The child was diagnosed with Leukocytosis, antibiotics given as a treatment. The child had also increased muscle tone.
After treatment in Neonatology ward in the town of Dobrich, the condition of the child was stabilised and the next laboratory findings were normal.
When born the child weight was 3.69 kg and height was 52 cm.
The child was raised by his mother in a family environment. The mother’s partner reported that for a period of several days the mother refused to adequately look after the child and stated that she wanted to go abroad.
On 3rd June 2015, the mother brought the child to a nursery in Dobrich where she reported that she would not be taking care of him anymore.
The child was then admitted into emergency foster care to provide him with supporting and secure family environment, warmth, love, attention and care which can facilitate favourable psychological, cognitive, emotional and social development.
Larry’s current weight is 5.2 kg, height is 54 cm. He has been diagnosed with Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and the relevant medication has been prescribed.
Update 01/06/2015
Larry has reflux and since he is taking medicine, he’s more settled. He’s responsive – follows an object with his eyes, smiles back, plays with a rattle. His mother has still not made a decision about his destiny.
Update 01/08/2015
Larry’s undergoing special treatment for his reflux and his allergic rhinitis. He recognises his foster mother and smiles at her. He looks around seeking where a sound comes from. He follows the movement of objects, turns himself on his tummy and holds his head up. His mother hasn’t still made any attempts to take him back and his future is uncertain.
Update 01/10/2015
At this time. his weight is 7.5 kg and height is 65 cm. His doctor did not make a referral for ultrasound. The foster family was advised that such prophylactic exam (kidneys, stomach, liver, spleen) is free for every 6-year-old child. The foster family will ask for a referral and will schedule the exam. Larry is very jovial. He has a positive and lively reaction to interacting with adults by vocalizing. He can tell people he knows from strangers and looks for help from his foster parents. He holds a toy, puts it in his mouth and moves it from hand to hand. When on his stomach, he tries to reach the toy by attempting to crawl. The foster family says the child has painful gums because he is expected to teeth and he often uses rubber toys to calm the irritation. The family bought teething gel for calming his gums.
The child's status is still unclear. The mother has not taken any action to show her intentions. She has not sought contact or information about the child.
Update 01/05/2016
Larry weighs 9kg already and as a few teeth are trying to show up he has temperature. He is in a good emotional status, smiles often as a response to an adult’s speech and makes noises. The foster parents have bought him a swing but he is scared to go on it. They shared that he is jealous from their grandson and wants all the attention for himself. He has a strong bond with his foster mother and follows her everywhere. He crawls fast and can quickly change directions. Larry is also able to stand upright whilst holding on to something and can walk in held by the hands. He can take rings off a pyramid, can pass a ball and knock cubes into each other. He keeps his attention for a long time whilst playing with pen and paper. His foster parents have been advised on what type of games to provide for him in order to improve his development. They have also been advised to limit buying of fluffy soft toys for him.
Larry is enrolled in the Adoption register.
Kyle was born in Poland and both parents were registered on his birth certificate his father abandoned both Kyle shortly birth. After this, Kyle and his Mum returned to Bulgaria where she tried to care for 4 of her 7 children, however, she was unable to do this, so Kyle was placed into an orphanage. During his time in this institution he only saw his Mum a few times. In 2009 she moved abroad. Kyle was placed in foster care.
Kyle is healthy and very sporty, with no allergies and up to date immunisations.
Several attempts have been made to contact Kyle's biological family, however, they refused contact with him. Kyle has a great relationship with his foster family. He strives to have successful and meaningful relationships. Kyle is polite and helpful. He has good self-control and emotional health. He seeks approval and respects authority. He finds it hard to identify and communicate his personal needs.
Update 23/12/2014
During the Christmas holidays Kyle was upset that he wasn't with his biological parents, though stated that he didn't want to live with them. It has been a year since he’s not seen his parents. Their original plans were to return from Poland and take him along, but instead their Skype profiles got deactivated and they cut every contact with him.
Update 02/02/2015
At school Kyle is doing great!! He is involved in the, "I have a dream," where he learned to design and make jewellery. He was very skilled at this!. He also gets on well his classmates!
Kyle is healthy and his foster family provide for medical care when necessary. Kyle expressed that he would love to be adopted by his foster parents. He is in the school football team and has recently taken up table tennis.
Update 01/04/2015
Kyle underwent various assessments, including memory, attention span, coordination, practical skills, analysing and synthesising. He performed well at all tests and confidently shares that he can complete his homework unassisted. He has tried recently to push the boundaries and push back on instructions and demands for him to follow the routine.
Update 01/06/2015
Kyle maintains his hygiene independently and is always neat and tidy. He keeps his possessions and helps with the housework. He is very friendly and doesn’t like to get into conflicts. If that should happen, he resolves it calmly and compromises. He’s also very sociable and seeks company and play with other children.
Update 01/08/2015
Kyle fell out with his best friend and tried to resolve the conflict physically, but that was quickly forgotten. He spends a lot of time by the beach with his foster family. He’s on track developmentally, including self-control, motor skills, coordination, analysis and synthesis, practical skills. Although at present his future is long-term fostering, he’s willing to be registered for adoption.
Update 01/10/2015
Kyle is a healthy child. He says that he is feeling well. He is not troubled or afraid of anything in particular. He has resumed his good relations with his friend. At school the children are treating him well. Kyle is calm, well balanced and patient on the whole. He is active and energetic, and says “I feel well enough. Everything is going well. “He judges his abilities to be somewhat limited, but cannot say specifically what he lacks and what opportunities they would offer him. He demonstrates good self-confidence and positive demeanour. He considers himself to be joyful, happy, attentive, and to some extent shy and unsure of himself. There is work underway to help speed up his reading skills, but he lacks motivation and perseverance to exercise the skills daily to achieve the desired outcome. He needs regular practice to improve. The biological mother has called and asked to speak to the child. She has shared her plans to return to Bulgaria and buy a house in Dobrich where they could live and take Kadir to live with them. These intentions need to be clarified as on several occasions they have stated that they would return and look after him but until now these have not materialised, and have served to traumatise the child by giving him false hope.
Update 31/03/2016
Kyle had a mild respiratory infection during the past period but has fully recovered. A test observation on him showed that he believed that people were good, careful and ready to help others. He considers the world to be a good and fair place and his life depends on himself but also believes in chance. Kyle describes himself as a happy person and thinks that life has so far been gracious to him. He completed the school term with only one poor mark in English language and his mark book has also recently seen some good grades. He is improving his discipline, has a good relationship with his class mates but has no motivation to learn and study. His teacher shares that children have no one to compete with as the class consists mainly from not so good students.
Kyle’s parents have not sought contact with him and it is unclear whether they have returned to the country.
Long term foster care
Margaret was delivered via C-section with no signs of abnormality. Immediately after Margaret’s birth her mother told the hospital staff that she was neither able nor willing to look after Margaret in her family environment. The mother was already struggling with raising her older child, due experiencing significant financial difficulties, which impeded her meeting the child’s basic needs (such as providing shelter, food, clothing and education).
The pregnancy was monitored by a medical specialist. Based on information provided by the mother, no complications or health problems were reported or observed during pregnancy. Margaret was prematurely born via C-section (she weighted 2100gm and was 45cm long). She was clinically healthy. Immediately after birth Margaret’s mother told the hospital staff that she is not going to look after the child. She stated that she is willing to sign a Declaration renouncing her parenting rights over Margaret, so that the child can be adopted.
After Margaret was placed in a foster family, it was established that she had an atrial-septal defect. This condition necessities regular monitoring by a cardiologist. Monitoring by an ophthalmologist was also required, due to Margaret having been placed in an incubator after birth.
Update 01/04/2015
Margaret is gaining in weight. She is being fed with adapted milk. Her physical health indicators are good and Margaret appears to be catching up in development with her peers. A recent examination by an ophthalmologist concluded that she has no eye-sight difficulties, following the initial period in an incubator. A cardiology examination concluded that Margaret’s heart condition can be treated successfully by Margaret’s first birthday.
Margaret appears settled. She is currently adapting to her foster family.
Margaret continues to gain weight. She sleeps and feeds well. She has good metabolism. She reacts to loud noises by trembling and blinking. She focuses her attention on noises made by a baby rattle.
Margaret’s mother is expected to formally renounce her parenting rights over Margaret by signing a Declaration. Margaret’s name will then be added to the Adoption Registry.
Update 02/06/2015
Margaret is gaining quickly in weight. She drinks adapted milk. Her physical health indicators are good and she is making up for the developmental gap between her and her peers. She is regularly seen by a cardiologist, and these appointments will continue until her heart condition is fully treated. Margaret’s motor development is in line with her adjusted age of 2.5 months. When placed on her front, Margaret lifts her head and manages to keep it up without dropping it back on the bed. She turns her head to the left and right. She keeps it up when she is held. When placed on her back, she moves her hands and feet energetically.
Margaret has a good emotional tonus. She is adapting well to her foster family and she continues to gain in weight. She reacts to voices by turning her head to the the direction of the noise and by becoming visibly livelier. She is settled for most of the time.
Margaret is not grabbing onto toys. She focuses her gaze on the adult’s face, when she is being spoken to. She follows with her eyes horizontal movements around her. She tries to follow with her eyes her foster parents, when they are moving around. Margaret fixes her gaze on brightly-coloured objects and faces for short durations of time. She stares at people when they bend over to look at her.
Margaret’s name has been added to the Adoption Registry.
Update 01/08/2015
Margaret is catching up on her weight since she was prescribed special formula milk for her frequent vomiting. She’s making efforts to crawl. She holds her milk bottle by herself and grabs for toys. She was registered for adoption and there were meetings with two adoptive families – the first one rejected Margaret and we’re waiting for the second family’s decision.
Update 01/10/2015
Thank God the second family accepted Margaret and proceeded with the adoption. She's now happy in their permanent care. Goodbye, little girl.
Adoption
Helen’s mother fell pregnant with Helen by a man different to her partner, whilst she lived abroad. The woman’s partner, who is also the father of her other three children, refused to accept the new-born. Subsequently, Helen’s mother renounced any caring responsibilities over her new-born daughter.
Helen was born through normal delivery without any complications. She weighted 3500gm and was 52cm long at birth. She was healthy with no abnormalities observed. She started to feed well following birth.
Helen was registered with her local GP and is regularly seen for check-ups. She is gaining weight. She feeds and sleeps well. Her excretory system is observed to function normally.
Update 01/04/2015
Helen appears settled at present. She is adapting to her foster family.
Helen is gaining weight. She feeds and sleeps well. Her metabolism appears to function well. She trembles and blinks at loud noises. She focuses her attention on noises made by a baby rattle.
Update 02/06/2015
At present Helen is healthy. She feeds well and defecates regularly. She is gaining in weight and height. Currently she weighs 5460gm and is 56cm long. She is not yet vaccinated, due to a current lack of vaccines.
Helen cries often and rarely smiles. She is colicky. Helen’s foster family has followed the medication prescription given to them by the family GP, but this appears to be ineffective in relieving Helen’s condition at present. The foster family has noticed that Helen prefers sleeping in a completely quiet and dark environment.
Helen does not focus her attention on baby rattle noises. She struggles with focusing her gaze on faces and toys. She experiences difficulties with following with her eyes movements around her. Placed on her tummy she keeps her head up for a short while.
Helen’s name has been added to the Adoption Registry.
Update 01/07/2015
Helen was adopted in July. Goodbye, precious little girl!
Adoption
Immediately after Rachel’s birth, her mother informed the staff members at the Specialist Hospital in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Varna, that she wished to look after the new-born in the family environment. The baby was therefore moved into the same hospital room as her mother. Staff noticed, however, that Rachel’s mother was leaving her daughter unattended for long periods of time. This led to Rachel being moved back to the room for new-borns, where she was given better care and was being fed on time.
The concerns raised by staff led to Rachel’s mother being spoken to again. She reported that she wanted to look after Rachel at home, despite the rest of her children being involved in Child Protection Procedures linked to finding an alternative living environment for them. Rachel’s parents have substantial socio-economic difficulties, which make looking after Rachel in the home environment impossible. The family has no income and no financial support to meet their basic day-to-day needs. Financially they are unable to provide for Rachel without putting her at risk. No relatives or other individuals close to the family have come forward and offered to look after Rachel, instead of her parents. An urgent search for a suitable foster family was therefore initiated, so that Rachel can be placed in a new home, whilst she is still at a breast-feeding infancy stage of development.
Rachel was born at the eight moth of the pregnancy, via normal delivery and with an umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She weighted 2850gm at birth and was 47cm long. She cried out after aspiration. At present, she weighs 2660gm. According to the medical professionals, Rachel is clinically healthy with and has a good cardiopulmonary adaptation. She started breastfeeding on time and has a good feeding tolerance and a stable weight curve.
Rachel has been registered at and regularly seen by her local GP. She is gaining in weight. She eats and sleeps well. Her excretory system is also observed to function normally.
Update 01/04/2015
At discharge from hospital Rachel’s skin was in a poor condition – fry and flaky. Rachel’s foster mother is bathing her and moisturising her skin daily and at present Rachel’s skin is healthy and has a rosy colour. At present Rachel weighs 3250gm and is 49cm long. She is in a good health condition.
Rachel is calm. She sleeps well and wakes up to be fed every 2.5-3 hours. She eats approximately 70-80ml milk. Her hygiene is good. She is bathed and massaged daily. She defecates regularly. She enjoys being washed.
To date there are no signs of developmental delay. Rachel tries to lift her heard up when she is put flat on her belly. She manages to keep her head up for a short while, when kept upright. She reacts to loud noises by trembling and blinking. She focuses her attention when noises are made with a baby rattle.
Update 02/06/2015
Rachel recently had a cold. She did not have high temperature or a cough but her GP prescribed her with 7-day antibiotics, in order to prevent possible further health complications. The medicine was administered as prescribed. At present Rachel weighs 4900gm and is 56.5cm long. She is in a good health condition. She is vaccinated regularly, in accordance with the immunisation recommendations in Bulgaria.
Rachel makes attempts to get hold of toys and follows with her eyes movements around her. She can keep her head up when placed on her tummy. She keeps her head up for a short while when held up. When she is held up under her armpits, Rachel places her feet on the floor and keeps her legs straight.
Rachel’s mother has signed a Declaration renouncing her parenting rights over Rachel. Currently Rachel’s paperwork is being processed so that her name can be added to the Adoption Registry.
There is only one parent listed on the birth certificate. The mother of the child is mentally impaired and does not have the means to fulfil the basic needs of her child. The social services visited her in April 2012, after her neighbours notified them that the child is crying constantly and the mother cannot feed her. The social workers found Grace in a very neglected state, visibly underweight, sitting in an unlit, unheated room.
The mother is putting her child at risk with her irresponsible and careless behaviour towards her psychological and physical health.
Emergency action is taken in order to protect the child's physical and mental well-being.
The Director of the Child Protection Services, issues a special order for the child to be placed in care home in Varna. The child's weight is well below the norm at the time and is on a special diet for a long time. She is diagnosed with Anorexia. She is unable to keep food in her stomach and specialist doctors fight for her life for months. During Grace's stay in the institution, her mother visited her every week, however the social services observations were that the mother is unable to communicate and interact adequately with her child and she even showed aggression towards the child when she was frustrated or challenged by other people.
A more favourable action is taken for the child- she is to be placed in the care of a foster family.
The overall motor skills are normal but with lower weight and height than her age's average. The child is diagnosed with Strabismus' which is under development of the fine motor skills, her expressive and impressive speech. The child is hospitalised with inadequate emotional reactions toward stimulus.
Her weight and height are still under the norm for her age. Grace is rarely sick and has no chronic diseases. She is up to date on her immunisations and has no known allergies. The foster family takes her for regular doctor check-ups and specialist appointments when needed.
After placing the child in foster case she is seen by an ophthalmologist again. In his opinion, a correcting eye surgery is not necessary. The problems could be corrected with the right dioptre so she is prescribed glasses. She is to see the ophthalmologist regularly to monitor her condition. She is also seen by a cardiologist and it is established that she is clinically healthy.
The child is emotionally well, she doesn’t show symptoms of worry and hyperactivity. She is usually calm and stable. She can be talked into not doing something wrong, she reacts adequately and responds to encouragement. She is communicative and enjoys contact with people. She is lacking a bit in the knowledge development though.
The child can build a tower with cubes with no difficulties, she can knock the cubes in each other and can stack cup with different sizes correctly. She builds a pyramid with one mistake but then corrects it herself. She still doesn’t recognise the colours but knows the body parts and can point them out on her. She recognises a rabbit and a bear, she can execute certain culturally centred activities: ‘rocks a baby doll and sings’, ‘talks on the phone’, she shows interest in books and looks at them for a period of time. She still doesn’t point out to familiar objects on pictures with the exception of few animals and doesn’t understand qualities like ‘small’ or ‘big’.
To date, the child has had meetings with two candidate adoptive families; however they do not wish to proceed with adoption.
Update 01/12/2014
Grace is monitored by a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist in preparation for applying for child support benefit. Although not yet confirmed, she has been diagnosed to be mentally retarded in a mild form. That is to be reconsidered again in 6 months or a year.
Grace is communicative, responds to encouragement and can connect on a non-verbal level, although she is a bit timid. She has adapted well to the group, interacts with the other children and rarely creates conflict. She is attached to the daughters of the foster parents, she seeks their contact, shares toys and food with them, she tries to copy them, playing gymnastics and ballet.
At the next psychological assessment is established that she has IQ66 – mentally retarded in a mild form. Her attention has impaired concentration and differentiation with narrowed coverage. Her knowledge developments shows some deficits, she manipulates her toys in a stereotyped way and is unable to role play. She doesn’t recognise the main colours but can name a few body parts and knows a few animals – rabbit, dog, pig, cat. She can stack figures with some help.
Preparation work starts for registering her in the International Adoption Register as none of the foster families wish to adopt her.
Update 01/02/2015
The child is physically healthy at this stage however her height and weight are still under this age average. The foster family provides for regular medical consultations with specialists if and when needed. They meet a neurologist who concludes that her fine motor skills are compromised.
Grace adapts to the group well and her behaviour is considered appropriate, although she doesn’t always follow instructions. She appears to be emotionally positive. Grace doesn’t recognise the colours still but can group objects by colour. She doesn’t recognise the circle as a geometrical object and can’t group objects by size.
The child gets easily irritated for no big reason, she loses interest in whatever she does quickly and moves on to the next thing. The girl doesn’t seem able to remember short songs and poems suitable for her age. She has difficulties understanding game instructions, is unable to properly understand the meaning of the stories she is read and the tasks she is given, therefore she quickly loses interest. Grace doesn’t realise the difference between day and night. She understands however the meaning of some space positions such as ‘above’, ‘on top of’ and ‘under’. She has broadened her speech and can make short sentences and ask simple questions.
Update 01/04/2015
The documents for registering her on the International Adoption Register are done. At present Grace is physically healthy. During this period she is seen by an ophthalmologist and it is not deemed necessary for her dioptre to be changed however it is recommended one of the glasses of the spectacles to get covered every now and then.
The child appears emotionally stable and doesn’t show any signs of stress and worry. She expresses emotions adequately and appears to be balanced and a bit timid. She is usually calm, reacts adequately to encouragement and she can be easily persuaded not to do something. She is communicative and enjoys people’s company.
She is still unable to properly divide and maintain her attention and has difficulties switching from one thing to another. She gets irritated easily by minor factors and loses her interest quickly to what she is doing. She has difficulties in understanding and executing an order containing more than two steps. The compromised speech and hearing abilities and the poor practical experience are the reason for the delayed development of main thinking abilities – to analyse, synthetise, compare and summarise. She still suffers to understand game instructions, the meaning of stories and given tasks, therefore she quickly loses interest. During a game, she mirrors what other children do without using her imagination. She can use all objects and toys adequately however she is unable to piece together a puzzle of three or four pieces.
Grace is found an adoption family that has permanent residency abroad. They are expected to arrive in Bulgaria and meet the child for the first time.
Update 01/06/2015
Grace has had a respiratory illness during the past month. She has had appropriate treatment and medication and is now fully recovered.
The child met the adopting family and took them well. She played with them and had fun. She even started calling the woman ‘Mum’ and to seek her attention.
Grace looks forward to every meeting with her new parents and she has weekly skype meetings with them to strengthen their relationship and emotional attachment. An adoption procedure has been started.
Update 01/07/2015
Grace was adopted. May the Lord bless her with His love and care.
Molly’s biological mother is under age and is happy to sign declaration that she does not want parenting rights. For that reason however she needs her mother’s agreement. Molly’s mum will be 18 in February and the social worker will have to wait until then to register the child in the Adoption Register. She lives with a man who allegedly forces her to prostitute. That man has also a child of his own who now lives in foster care.
Molly was born with low birth weight and stays in hospital care in Varna for about a month. She starts to gain weight steadily and her general physical health is good. She doesn’t suffer from colic.
Molly smiles and responds to the tender voice of her foster mother. She is calm most of the time when she is awake and her eyes can follow moving objects. She coos when she is content and most often after a feed.
During last month, Molly was hospitalised twice. She has breathing difficulties and narrowed nasal canals and she is diagnosed with bronchiolitis. She was given inhaler and antibiotics intravenously.
Molly can already recognise her foster mother. She smiles at her, coos and responds with sounds when she sees her. She is calm most of the time.
The child’s sight is attracted by moving objects and the human face. She can lift up her head for a bit while laying on her tummy. She coos when she is happy, especially after a feed.
Update 01/02/2015
Molly was born with low birth weight and was kept for a month in a hospital in Varna. At the moment she weights 6500gramsHer foster mother feeds her with formula milk, fruit juices and banana or vegetable porridge. During the last few months Molly was admitted to hospital twice with bronchiolitis. She was given an inhaler to use at home for a month.
The baby is unhappy when someone takes away a toy from her and looks for it for a while. She recognises and smiles at her foster mother. She loves bath time.
When she lies on her back she can turn on her tummy. She shows interest to her toys and gets vocal to other people and toys. She plays using her hands and can grab hold of a toy held near her.
Update 01/04/2015
Molly is gaining weight and her general physical wellbeing is good. She is being fed formula milk, fruit purees and banana and vegetable porridge. During the last medical check she is better but she still needs to use the inhaler at home.
Molly can hold one toy in her hand but she still can’t hold two at the same time. She can turn on her tummy when lying on her back. She can sit up with a bit of help. She is very vocal and spontaneous, especially towards adults and her toys and can laugh out loud. She uses her hands while playing and can grab hold of objects held near her.
Molly’s biological mother signs the declaration that she gives up her parenting rights and Molly gets on the Child Adoption register.
Update 01/06/2015
The specialists establish that the child development is within the norm and she is physically healthy. Molly can reach out and play using both hands and she can transfer toys form one hand to another. She can sit up, hold her head up, back straight and use her hands to support her body.
The child has formed and is expressing her liking to certain people. She is definitely showing affection towards the foster family and their close relatives. She can copy behaviour and behave adequately.
The child’s sight can follow an object’s movement and looks for a toy if taken away from her sight. She explores objects by touching them and putting them in her mouth.
Update 01/08/2015
Molly is now adopted. Good luck and God bless!
Adoption
We do not have the official report from the Social Services but allegedly, the mother is under age and is not able to look after her child. She does not live with the father of the child. She has one more child which is looked after by his father.
The child is 3 months old. He has been hospitalised and diagnosed with bronchiolitis and colic due to being fed with inappropriate for his age food – biscuits soaked in water, living in a bad unhygienic environment, and being neglected. The boy has fungal infection in the genital area and bacterial conjunctivitis.
The child is discharged from hospital. The foster family has bought all the prescribed medication for home care treatment – antibiotic, syrup, drops and gels. He is bathed and massaged every day. He is being fed with formula milk.
Future
It is still unclear what OZD plan's for the child's future are. The mother still hasn't sined declaration that she gives up her parenting rights.
Update 01/12/2014
He has been hospitalised and diagnosed with bronchitis and colic due to being fead food inappropriate food for his age, biscuits soaked in water.
The child is 3 months old. he has been hospitalised and diagnosed with bronchitis and colic due to being fead inappropriate food for his age - biscuits soaked in water. He did not even have energy to cry. He lived in a bad unhygienic environment, and was totally neglected. The boy has fungal infection in the genital area and bacterial conjunctivitis.
The child is discharged from hospital. The foster family has bought all the prescribed medication for home care treatment – antibiotic, syrup, drops and gels. He is bathed and massaged every day. He is being fed with formula milk.
The child doesn't show signs of having slow mental development.
Update 01/02/2015
Mark is clinically healthy. The fungal infection in the genitals, the bacterial conjunctivitis and the dermatitis are under control. At the moment the child's weight is 6660g. He is given two vaccines after which he vomits and has temperature but fully recovers quickly.
The child is emotionally positive and smiles when people make contact. He seems pleased when he is paid attention and is visibly unhappy when it stops.
If he is held under the arms he stands very stable and can stand on his feet for a while. He can push forward when he is left lying on his tummy with his feet held firm. He can grab a soft toy and pushes it in his mouth. He can follow a moving object with his eyes.
The child's future is still unclear and the mother cannot be found to sign the declaration for giving up parenting rights.
Update 01/04/2015
The child's has preventative ultrasound tests on his organs and urine and blood tests. He is deemed healthy, sleeps well and smiles when people talk to him. He weighs 7700g.
The child is emotionally well, smiles and expresses vocally his excitement. He appears calm when he hears his foster mother's voice. He is impatient when hungry but calms down when fed. He loves bath time.
He stands firm when held under the arms, can step firm on his feet. He pushes forward when on his tummy and can turn on his back. He can hold a toy and shows good hand to mouth coordination.
The mother is still unavailable to sign the declaration for giving up parenting rights so his future remains uncertain.
Update 01/06/2015
The child has been healthy throughout the last few months. He still has a rash in the genitals. The foster mother has consulted a dermatologist and had bought the prescribed medication. The foster family had bought a pram and takes the child our regularly, they even leave him outside for a nap when the weather is nice. The latest blood and urine tests are within norm. He is given the next two vaccinations.
The boy is calm and smiles at other people. He makes a lot of sounds and can say 'ta-ta' and 'ba-ba'. He enjoys contact with the foster parent's grandchildren and laughs at their tease.
Mark stands firmly on his feet when held and can push his body up but doesn't make attempts to make steps. He can grab hold of toys, transfers from one hand to another, puts them in his mouth. He can sit without support for a little while. The child looks at the children's movies and advertisements on the TV.
His documentations are being prepared for registering him on the Adoption Register. He still has a rash on his genitals.
Update 01/08/2015
Mark’s rash is healed now. He got a new tooth this month. He crawls confidently and pulls himself up. His gross motor development is behind his age for over 1y old child and he’s referred to a physio therapist. He’s friendly with the adults in the household and keen to participate in all games of the biological children of the foster family.
Update 01/10/2015
The recommended physiotherapy is giving good results. The child is taking several steps independently. Markcan throw a ball. He tries to drive a toy car. He has 4 teeth. Milan reacted anxiously to unknown people but has gradually adapted to the therapists and allowed contact. When meeting his biological parents, he smiles to his mother, takes toys from her and gives them back. The child is attracted by new musical toys, and likes to look at the lights but quickly loses interest and starts playing with familiar toys. He has been given educational toys appropriate for his age. The foster parent has been given advice how to stimulate the child’s cognitive and physical development. The biological parents have registered a complaint against the child being added to the register for adoption. The biological father however has not recognised the child as his own and his name is missing from the birth register. The parents have expressed interest in looking after their child despite not being in touch for 10 months and not enquiring about his wellbeing. They want to meet with the child and there have been 2 meetings in this period, but during the last one, the family has declared their intentions of going abroad again. There they intend to fulfil the requirements of the international social services for regular income and lodging, with the aim of reintegration, in case the process for adding the child to the Adoption Register can be stopped.
Update 31/03/2016
Mark had his sixth tooth growing. He can walk steadily, bends down to pick toys from the floor. He is a cheerful child who is selective in his communication with adults but is eager to play with his foster parents’ grandchildren. The foster parents have been advised on how to stimulate the use of a spoon and he can now put it in his mouth. Mark can hold a cup and drink from it. He does exercises improving his fine motor skills as prescribed by a consultant.
No skype meetings with his parents took place in January and February despite our reminders and invitations. His father is already put on the birth certificate but the skype meeting scheduled for March didn’t take place again. His parents say that they are working to cover the reintegration requirements and are planning to get Mark back soon.
Adoption
Michael was removed from his parents in 2009, due to their inability to provide adequate living conditions for him. He was placed in a home for medical and social care until he became too old for this institution and was moved to another orphanage the following year; before being placed in to a foster family.
Michael does maintain contact with all members of his biological family, including his brother, who is also in an orphanage for children deprived of parental care.
Michael's parents were briefly in Germany, during which time, contact was maintained via skype.
Michael is doing well at school! He is inquisitive and has a good imagination! He enjoys learning about astronomy, dinosaurs and snakes. He also loves dancing and has taken part in several shows. He performs well, with good co-ordination and motor skills!
He dislikes ball games and running!
Michael's biological parents are back from Germany. However, despite receiving support from the Bulgarian Red Cross, which consisted of money to buy food, as well as financial support to provide suitable living conditions, they failed to create a good environment for Michael.
Michael no longer has contact with his biological parents, as they do not pursue it.
Michael has been bought a tablet, which he loves to play games on, as a reward for getting good grades at school! He tries really hard and it has been suggested that he would benefit from extra home tuition.
He gets on well with his class mates, though he has shared that he, along with several other children, are being harassed by another.
Update 01/12/2014
Michael said to his Foster Mother that he wishes he had been in her belly instead. He has vivid imagination and tells stories about the dinosaurs and about how they lived.
He has a strong relationship with his foster family! He feels safe and secure with them. He will often wait until his foster Dad is in bed, before going to sleep. This helps him with his fear of the dark.
Update 01/02/2015
Michael is learning the traditional Bulgarian dances and enjoys them a lot. He has well developed spatial awareness and recognises shapes.
Michael has been bought a tablet, which he loves to play games on, as a reward for getting good grades at school! He tries really hard and it has been suggested that he would benefit from extra home tuition.
He gets on well with his class mates, though he has shared that he, along with several other children, are being harassed by another.
Update 01/04/2015
Michael is doing really well at school. He was awarded a certificate after the completion of the first term. His logical and cognitive development are advanced. He prefers dancing and drawing to running and ball games. His mother has not made an effort to meet him in this period.
Update 15/06/2015
Michael participated in several stage performances with the dance ensemble. He has several good friends and he had a sleep over at one of them. He completed this school year with very good marks, but he needs to improve on his hand writing and Bulgarian grammar. His mother has still not met him yet.
Update 01/08/2015
Michael has developed tooth cavity but is scared to go to the dentist. His foster parents took him on holiday and he had a great time sightseeing, visiting museums, swimming and playing with Nicole. He’s preparing now for the start of the new school year.
Update 01/10/2015
Michael admits he does not brush his teeth regularly and the foster mother has not observed that he follows with his hygiene, and this has led to a repeat inflammation and infection. He is due to see the dentist soon. Muhi has been enrolled in 3rd grade. Sometimes he has conflicts with a few of his classmates. He states that some of them do not accept him, and he gets upset at times. According to his class teacher he has not built an adequate model of integration with the other children. During the school day, the teacher observes Michael giving a present to one of the children, and taking it back at the end of the day, with the reason that he has given it for a short time. This gets repeated which affects the children and causes them to avoid him.
The child looks for attention in an unsuitable way and does not manage to negotiate with children with negative attitude towards him. There is work underway to help the child build more adequate models of interaction with his peers.
At the start of the school year he had difficulties with language related subjects. The lack of study in the summer vacation has led to the child forgetting some grammar rules. His reading has also been affected, but this is currently being compensated for, with additional study being carried out in his home. Currently there are no meetings between the biological mother and the child. Michael will stay in foster care long term.
Long term foster care
Kristen was born in to a family with both parents; however they were unable to care for her due to traveling abroad. The child was left in the care of her paternal grandmother.
Whilst working abroad Kristen's Mum worked as a prostitute. It became known to us that her husband had made her prostitute abroad while he settled in his house with a young girl, who is the mother of Molly, who’s also in foster care with us. Neither of them are interested in taking their children back.
Her grandmother was unable to take care of her, so her Father returned to take care of her. After a few months, he informed the authorities that he wasn't able to care for her and wanted her to be put in to foster care.
This resulted in her being placed in to protective custody for 48 hours in a home for medical and social care; before being placed in to foster care.
Kristen is healthy and settled with her foster parents and is in contact with her farther. However, she is not particularly close to him. When she is told she is going to see him she is not always keen to go, nor is she particularly bothered when she doesn't see him
Kristen is in school and her teacher says she is doing well! Occasionally she argues with other children over toys' though these are quickly resolved. Her vocabulary is good and she expresses herself well.
She likes to make up stories about the objects around her and help her foster Mum around the house.
The last few visits between Kristen and her father have not happened, as he has not turned up. Kristen does not seem upset by this and is doing great!
Update 02/11/2014
Kristen attends nursery and is very happy and settled there. She likes to share all stories of her day with her Foster Mum. She likes travelling and her Foster Mum takes her sightseeing around the country. She is a curious child, who uses every opportunity to explore her surroundings.
Update 01/12/2014
Kristen learned many nursery rhymes and fairy tales while with her Foster Parents. She doesn’t ask about her biological parents and they’ve not turned up in the recent meetings, which were organised by our social workers. She manages fairly complex tasks, such as threading small pieces and building towers. Her cognitive development is on track.
Update 01/02/2015
Kristen’s teacher shared that she is well settled at nursery, socialises well with other kids and participates in all group activities. Her vocabulary is noticeably expanding and she is able to construct long sentences, ask questions and ask for help. She can hold a pen and imitates the adults pretending she writes very fast.
Update 05/04/2015
Kristen's biological Mum is back in the country. The reintegration meetings recommenced and Kristen can’t wait to meet her mother again. She helps her mum in the household and seems calm in her home. We have conducted frequent meetings for the last month and our expectation is that we will be able to complete the reintegration in 2 months.
Update 01/06/2015
Kristen is now reintegrated with her biological mother. Good luck, dear child!
Reintegration
Ivan came from an orphanage. He was found to be both cognately and physical delayed as well as suffering from attachment issues. He avoids attachment.
Ivan attends school and finds studying difficult. This is partly due to his attachment issues and his delayed development. There is a possibility he will have to retake history. He confronted a peer because he thought he was being used. He does not have strong relationships.
Ivan finished school with average grades. He did not have to retake history! He is talking more about his past, in particularly about an institution he used to live in. A trip to that institution is being planned! Ivan is still afraid of being abandoned which makes it tricky for him to make and maintain relationships.
Ivan needs urgent dental care. Many of his teeth need fillings.
Update 01/09/2015
Ivan is a student in the 8th grade and is excited about school. His foster family plans to purchase a small flat in a town near Stara Zagora.
Adoption
Valya came from a home of medical and social care. She shows signs of attachment disorder, as she avoids building relationships. She is both physically and emotionally behind in her development.
Valya is in foster care and sees her birth Mun every other month. Unfortunately due to her alcohol dependency her Mum will never be able to regain custody. Valya attends school although studying is not a priority for her. Valya has been suffering from a virus.
Tragically Valya's birth Mum has passed away. As well as this, the psychologist that was working with her has left. Obviously the trauma has greatly affected Valya. She has, once again, been suffering with a virus.
Update 01/04/2015
Valya has recently made contact with her biological brother and sister! This was very emotional for her! Valya is still in school and her grades are still around average.
Update 01/06/2015
Valya is spending her summer holidays in the countryside, which she is loving! She has friends and says she feels free. Valya, as well as spending time with friends, also reads. Valya celebrated her birthday last month with her brother and sister. Her brother came back from the coast especially! She received lots of presents, including a photo album with pictures of her family!
Update 01/09/2015
Valya is healthy. She visited a pool in the summer. She wants to start swimming lessons, but that's not financially possible for the foster family at present. She is in the 6th grade and is doing really well. She had a first contact meeting with her birth sister and brother that went well. The child wants to live with her relatives.
Stoyan lived in a home of medical and social care. The results of his psychological tests found him to be behind with his development. As well as this Stoyan does not build attachments. His speach is difficult to understand at times and he has poor social skills.
Stoyan is in foster care but remains in contact with his birth Mum. He sees her 4 times a year, as well as writes to her. Stoyan is unable to live with his Mum due to her suffering from a psychological illmess. Stoyan attends school and achives good grades!
Stoyan is becoming more attached to his foster Mum and continues to have a relationship with his birth mum. His levels of maturity have also increased! He is very mature and responsible.
Update 01/06/2015
Stoyan has a new haircut for the summer! He finished school with brilliant grades! He is academically stronger than his brother. He shows a real interest in technoligy. His maturity has continued to increase and he is taking on more responsibility! Before school break, it was reported that Stoyan was able to lead and be lead in class activities. This is more evidence of his amazing personal development!
Update 01/09/2015
Stoyan is in good health. He is performing well in school. He is straight A in the 5th grade. He went to the seaside for the first time. There is a scheduled first contact meeting with his birth mother.
Daniel was the sixth high-risk pregnancy of his mother and didn't receive antenatal care. The mother has a positive Wassermann. All present social reports, including the present one suggest that the parents are not able to meet the needs of home, food, clothing, health and education for Daniel. Their housing is in extremely bad condition with no water and electricity. Although there is no official medical diagnosis, the mother appears inadequate and has some degree of mental retardation. She did not even realise she had given birth. She is unable to care for Daniel and provide secure accommodation. 3 weeks after his birth, Daniel was sent to an orphanage in Varna. His parents did not visit him or seek information about the child's development during the entire period of his stay at the orphanage. Daniel has no emotional bond with the members of his family.
The child has been consulted with pediatric neurologist who diagnosed "specific disorders in the development of motor function" with a recommendation for physiotherapy. Regarding the congenital syphilis a consultation has been held with a specialist whose conclusion is "Control serological tests are negative. No need for further follow-up and treatment." The ophthalmologist recommendated that he wears glasses. The left kidney is not visible in its usual place. There are serious gaps in the intellectual development of the child which requires special care.
Daniel's motor development is underdeveloped, he is not yet able to walk by himself. The child has been consulted by an orthopaedistto to clarify the causes of disability and the possibilities for treatment and rehabilitation.
Daniel’s food is still blened. He expresss his emotions and laughs at jokes, but is not able to talk yet. The child is bonding with the foster mother.
Update 01/09/2014
Daniel already steps up steadily. He makes several steps unsupported and uses walls and furniture to rest. He has not yet received specialised care because his GP refuses to give him referrals.
He still takes blended food and is unhappy when a different type of food is offered. He recognises his foster parents, but does not recognize other adults or children in the family.
He is has his preferred musical toys and does not want to leave them. The hand-eye coordination is delayed. He doesn’t turn when they call his name. It is difficult to attract his attention. He is learning to drink from a cup.
Update 01/10/2014
Daniel has been consulted by a neurologist who diagnosed him with generalized developmental disorder. He was also assessed by a specialists from Karin Dom and we're awaiting their recommendations.
When Daniel wants to express a desire or dissatisfaction, he begins to cry. He is frightened and unhappy when the foster parent is not next to him. He doesn’t manage to adapt to new and unknown settings. He is scared of strangers.
Daniel manages to remove several rings from a ring holder, but fails to return them back to their place. He's now able to drink from a cup, but still splits the water. He can say "sis-ter", "Dad-dy ".
Since he's not been visited by his biological family for 6 months, he will automatically be registered for adoption.
Update 01/11/2014
Daniel is consulted by the physiotherapist, who concluded that he needs to undergo treatment, which is scheduled from Dec. He is unstable when standing and sitting by himself and needs support to walk. He was also seen by a nephrologist, who found that one of the kidneys of the child is not visible on its usual place, so he will need to be hospitalised.
Daniel is increasingly attached to the fostering parent. The adaptive skills of the child are weak and he doesn’t have resource to deal with these situations, he crys when immersed in a new invironment.
Daniel’ s cognitive development progresses slowly. He needs to be examinated and visited by several medical specialists, which unsettles him and is a stress to him and the family.
Update 01/12/2014
Daniel spent 3 days in hospital for the examinations of the abnormal kidney. He was also prescribed a stripe on his left eye for 1hr/day in order to to develop the vision of the right eye in addition to the glasses he wears and the exercises he needs to do every day to improve his vision.
The child pronounces individual syllables and sounds vaguely. He can move and turn around on the bed. He progresses extremely slowly in his cognitive development.
Update 01/02/2015
Daniel attended sessins with the physiotherapist at "Karin Dom". The fster parents are consulted on ways and approaches by which to stimulate motor and neuro-psychological development of the child.
His walking improves and gets more stable and he has a better grip with both hands. There is yet unsatisfying hand-eye coordination and difficulty in space orientation. The child has no chewing reflex and sucks food.
The child cannot recognize adults, only his foster mother; shows now particular preference to some of the other adults. He imitates simple actions of children and adults and can put out some items from his drawer, knowing exactly where his bib is.
Update 01/04/2015
Daniel fell fown from his favorite lorry-truck toy while trying to take his bib away at the same time and broke his leg. He will continue his physiotherapy once the plaster is removed. Daniel is emotionally unstable. He often exhibits signs of anxiety and nervousness. The child falls into affective states improper to the stimulus. The child is not able to adequately express emotions and feelings.
Daniel does not recognize his name. It is difficult for him to understand and perform simple instructions and gets irritated if his foster mother insists on him performing any activity. He gets lively and smiling when he hears singing and music. He takes a musical toy and holds it long in his hand. He plays little with car toys.
The child is registered for adoption.
Update 01/06/2015
Daniel had 20 sessions with the physiotherapist and now his walking is remarkably improved. He can get up and down from a sofa. He can walk longer without feeling fatigue. He continues to beat his head at the cot bed before going to sleep. The sleep is often unsettled. His foster parents will apply for the school for visually impaired children in the next academic year.
Update 01/08/2015
The doctors have certified Daniel' eye condition. With this document Daniel can apply to a school for children with impaired eyesight next academic year. Visits to the foster family during the period have revealed that the foster mother and her daughter neglect the child. On a few occasions they have left Daniel in the room only with the foster parent's grandson who is 8 years old. Based on this and also on the slow progress in the child's development, and the foster mother's failure to follow advice from consultations, it was decided that Daniel should move in with another foster family. The new foster family will care adequately for him, given his special needs and his need of continuous adult care. Daniel is getting used to walks outside as well as adults around him. He does not yet initiate contact with kids but does not dislike them being around him. There is still no progress in the child's language development. He has difficulty understanding and following basic orders. He tries to copy basic acts shown by the foster mother such as placing a toy in a box. Daniel is impatient and irritable when the adult insists on doing a certain activity. The child smiles and brightens up when he hears singing and music. He picks up a musical toy and holds it continuously in his hand. Using the toy, he follows routines that he has learned. The child is entered into a register for adopting children with special needs.
Update 01/10/2015
Daniel still has the stereotypical rocking of the children from orphanages. He bangs his head into the sides of the bed and the door. His impaired eye-sight hinders his mobility and his walk is unstable. He doesn’t have a chewing reflex and needs help to feed. Daniel has started to announce his need for the toilet by pulling on his pants. He lacks interest for games and cannot operate the toys according to their purpose.
His foster mother supports his physiological needs but is not fully prepared to support his special needs and we took a decision to move him to another family.
On the eighth day after the birth, the child gets eye infection with purulent secretion. There are doubts about syphilis or staphylococcal infection. He needs to be hospitalized. The hospital confirmed that there is no danger for the child and excludes the likelihood of syphilis. When he was released from the hospital, his parents didn't show up to take him and the Social Services were informed. Unable to find his mother or other relatives who could look after him. Neal was placed in n orphanage in the city of Varna.
Six months later, the child was placed in a foster family who subsequently left the country and he was moved to another foster family. The child adapts successfully and the host family meets his basic needs of food, clothing, warmth, care and emotional attachment. There is an appropriate temperature for the baby at home. The family takes adequate care of the baby’s personal hygiene. They bath him and do daily massage. He has his very own sleeping area. He was registered with a GP and started taking all the necessary vaccines for that age. The child has a calm and undisturbed sleep. The foster parents provide toys and help to enrich his learning experience and personal development.
Neal quickly learned to crawl, uses a walker and steps ahead when he's held by the hands. He is smiling and communicative. He loves to play "picaboo ". He claps his hands with pleasure and pushes his legs in the water at bath time. He laughs out loud joyfully when adults speak to him. Neal pronounces individual words: "Mommy," "Granny". He can tell the difference in the tone in which he is spoken to.
Update 01/07/2014
During this month, Neal got an allergic reaction from a mosquito bite, but this is now under control and he is feeling well. Currently he weighs 10.400 kg. He is 76 cm high. His limbs have strengthened, he is able to step aside as he tries to reach a desired object. He takes a few steps by himself but still needs support.
The child is in good emotional state. He often smiles and can imitate simple actions of an adult. He enjoys being thrown in the air and then cuddled.
The child can transfer a toy from one hand to another to free his hand for a new toy. He manages to keep two toys at once. He waves goodbye and puts objects into a larger container.
A medical certificate for registering the child for adoption is being prepared.
Update 01/08/2014
Neal cannot step firmly on the floor. The family observed that the left foot of child grows inwards and he is seeing an orthopaedist.
He is smiling, vibrant, initiates contact with adults, vocalizes and stretches his hands when he wants to be cuddled. He likes to walk, but still needs a support from an adult. He enjoys the company of the adults he knows.
Neal imitates the basic action of the adults. He shows satisfaction when someone makes positive comments about him, he is happy when praised. He plays longer with a toy.
Neal is registered for adoption.
Update 01/09/2014
After the medical examination the orthopedic specialist found the child is doing well and has no problems with the mobility. The child already steps firmly with his left foot but still needs support when walking.
Neal loves it when someone sings to him and claps with his hands. He accepts strangers and is very communicative. He can drink from a cup, plays hide and seek and likes to empty bowls of their contents, but fails to fill them again. He can transfer an object from one hand to the other to take a second one.
Update 01/10/2014
During this period Neal had fever and was on medication.
He is a happy baby and laughs out loud when executing instructions from an adult and is being praised with “well done”.
Neal repeats words such as "sister”, “mom”, “grandpa”. The child starts comparing different objects. He can imitate simple actions shown by an adult.
Update 01/11/2014
Neal is begining to walk steadily. He can walk alone longer without losing balance and falling. A secondary examination by the orthopaedist is due. The child is in good health.
The son of the foster family had a new baby of his own this month. Neal is very excited with the baby, cuddles, and shouts "baby!" He calls his foster parents "Grandma" and "Grandpa" and calls "Mom" and "Dad" the son and the daughter in law of the foster parents. Most of the time he is cheerful, laughing and talkative.
Neal repeats almost every word he hears. He observes carefully the adults and their domestic activities; he explores objects, turns to adult and uses gestures or words to show he wants something.
Update 01/12/2014
The orthopaedist found that the arch of the right foot is not formed, which is to be adjusted with the time and with appropriate orthopedic shoes. The child is in good health.
Neal can understand instructions such as "Give", "Come", "Run". When a toy falls he says "Fa" (from “falls”).
A meeting with a prospective adoptive mother was held, but she did not wish to proceed with the adoption.
Update 01/02/2015
Two years can be a long wait when such is the entire length of one's life. But at last, God sent a good adoptive family to meet Neal and he was adopted this month. All the best, smiley character!
Adoption
Matthew was a premature baby, born in the 7th lunar month of the pregnancy due to infectious meningitis of the mother. The child was born weighing 1950 g., height 44 cm. The child was placed in an incubator with monitor control of the oxygen therapy. After the improvement of the child's condition on the 03.05.2014 he was brought in the premature babies department and left the hospital in good health on the 03.24.2014 and delivered to his biological family.
On the 14.04.2014 Matthew was hospitalized in the University Hospital "St. Marina” with respiratory failure and blue from suffocation. According with his GP statement, the child was brought in very bad condition. The doctor believes that due to inadequate care of the mother and her partner the newborn was in a critical condition. The baby has been brought to the hospital by an emergency ambulance where his condition was stabilized.
Matthew was placed in our foster family after he left the hospital, weighing 4600 grams and 55 cm high. Placed on his tommy, he manages to keep his head up. He smiles to his foster mother. He trembles and blinks to loud sounds. He spots sources of light. He feeds well and takes all the required amount of the milk formula. There are forthcoming examinations by an ophthalmologist and neurologist, as the child was born prematurely and was in an incubator. He is enrolled with a GP. There are planned vaccinations. On the 30.05.2014 he had a meeting with his biological parents. Certain requirements were given to them in order for us to reintegrate the child - to increase their parental capacity and the domestic conditions. However, they receive no help from the Government to achieve this and it is unlikely that they can manage on their own quickly enough.
Update 01/07/2014
He currently weighs 6000 grams is 58 cm high. He is healthy and doesn’t wake up for a night meal. Apple juice, carrot and banana are included in his diet. The weaning plan will continue with mashed potatoes. He has been given a vaccine.
The child is in good emotional tone. He reacts to known and unknown faces. He also recognizes the voice of the foster mother and makes eye-contact as she speaks. He enjoys playing with the daughter of his foster parents.
He can grab a toy and hold it in his hands for a while. He is cooing: "adi" "hey," "agu". He is laughing out loud and can turn to one side.
The biological parents did not initiate meetings with the child during the last month.
Update 01/08/2014
The child responded well to the inclusion in his diet of apple juice, carrot and banana. He doesn’t like much the mashed potatoes and prefers the sweet taste of the fruit.
The foster family walks out the child in parks and playgrounds. Matthew bonded well not only with the foster mother, but also her little daughter. He reacts and laughs when she interacts with him. He was taken for a short holiday to a holiday resourt. Marian shows he is unhappy when he is left in the cot. He still fails to turn from his tommy to his back and vice versa.
During this period he met his biological parents twice.
Update 01/09/2014
Matthew weighs 7500 grams. Last month he had one of the two necessary vaccines, due to the lack of the other in Bulgaria at that time. The child turns from his back to his tommy. Sits alone, but is still unstable. Moves forward with a walker. He succeeds to hold his head up for a while when put on his stomach. He now eats solid food 4 times a day: purees (vegetables and meat), biscuits with milk, puddings. During the period he had a rhinitis and was prescribed an antibiotic to prevent possible complications for the tonsillitis.
The child likes his bath time. He smiles and responds when his foster mother speaks. She enjoys her little daughter around. He is a smiley and sociable child. He vocalizes, but does not pronounce syllables yet.
He reaches out and takes the toy, holds it for a long time, waves it and puts it into his mouth, transfers it from on hand to the other, tapping it. There is a good visual and motor coordination eye-hand. He is curious, explores different surfaces and materials. Still doesn’t drink from a cup. He is fed with a spoon.
During this month, two meetings were held between the child and his biological parents. The child's fatherhas already been entered on the birth certificate as the second parent.
Update 01/10/2014
Matthew weighs 8300 grams and is 66 cm high. He did not have appropriate vaccine because it wasn't available in the town. The child claps hands in the water while having a bath. He smiles and laughs out loud even to strangers. He plays longer with toys, explores and rotates them. He can stay longer on his belly. He attempts to move by crawling. Loves to tear paper apart. He is experimenting with new, unfamiliar objects and materials.
During this month just one meeting was held between the child and his biological parents because the father was absent from the country. It is still expected the family to finish with the repairs on the house in which they live, to improve hygiene conditions for raising a child at an early age and then proceed to reintegration.
Update 01/11/2014
The child attempts to crawl. He in good health, 8600 gr and 67 cm high. One of the vaccines Is still not done, as it is as missing in the town.
Matthew has a good emotional tone. He smiles frequently and enjoys contact with the young daughter of the foster mother. He reacts positively to unfamiliar surroundings and in the presence of many people. The whole time he was relaxed and cheerful.
The child is still not stable while sitting. He turns to take the toy out and puts objects into a box. He is curious to his surrounding and explores eagerly.
During this month there hasn’t been a meeting between the child and his biological parents because they did not initiate such meeting. According to the social worker, the family has not yet completed the repairs of the house, there is no running water and it is unheated.
Update 01/12/2014
The child already crawls quickly and change directions. He sits alone; weighs 9000 grams and is 68 cm high. In December he had high temperature, without other symptoms. An antibiotic has been prescribed, the foster family bought it and the child is taking it according to the schedule. At this time the child is in good health.
The child is in a good emotional tone. He smiles in response to the words of an adult and laughs out loud at teaser. He wriggles at songs and enjoys a musical toy. During most of the time he is quiet. He searches contact with the adults and expresses dissatisfaction when is left alone in the cot.
The child eats with a spoon. He opens his mouth before the spoon touches his lips. He still doesn’t drink from a cup. Marian vocalizes, expressing emotions without much encouragement by an adult or the appearance of a familiar adult. He performs simple instructions: "Come!". Pronounces "ba-ba".
During this month there hasn’t been a meeting between the child and his biological parents because of they did not initiate such meeting.
Update 01/02/2015
The child already walks alone. At this time he is in good health, weighing 9600 grams and 70 cm high.
He is in good emotional tone. He reacts to the words “well done!” clapping with his hands. He has built an emotional bond with the foster mother and seeks her support when among strangers. He follows the daughter of the foster family and imitates her actions. He can stand up quickly and skillfully. He raises on his toes to reach and grab food from the table. He claps with hands and responds to "Give me…" giving away a toy. According to the foster mother Matthew pronounces "ba-ba", "Daddy ", "Mommy ".
During this period just one meeting was held between the child and his biological parents. Marian does not recognize his parents. The child cries out and immediately seeks support from his foster father. When soothed, he allows contact with the mother, but refuses to interact with the father.
Update 01/04/2015
The child already walks more confidently. At this time he is in good health. He finally had the last vaccines for his age. He’s got four teeth.
Matthew is a happy and smiling child. He is attached not only to his foster mother, but also with her little daughter. He reacts lively and laughs when he interacts with her. He takes toys from her, vocalizes, seeks her. He follows her everywhere, crawling and imitates her actions. The child is in good emotional tone. He smiles in response to the words of an adult. Laughs out loud at a teaser, dances at songs and enjoys a musical toy. Most of the time he is calm and content. Searches contact with adults and expresses dissatisfaction when left alone in the cod. Reacts to words “Well done” clapping with his hands.
He now differentiates the known and unknown people and reacts differently to them. He enjoys to familiar adults contrary to meeting with a stranger when he sometimes frowns and sometimes cries. He recognizes the voice of the foster mother and seeks her. He also recognizes the voices of the rest of the family members. He reacts differently to rigid and affectionate intonation – when someone speaks to him nicely and kindly he smiles.
During the period several meetings have been held between the child and his biological parents. Marian began to interact with them and remains briefly alone with them without the presence of the foster mother. The reintegration process is more active at that time.
Update 01/06/2015
Matthew is now reintegrated into his biological family. May he never be neglected again!
Mariah was placed in foster care from an institution in September 2011 when she was 4 years old. She maintains no contact with the family and is registered for adoption.
She had emotional issues and ambivalent attachment, no cognitive delays but physical delays observed. She has socially desirable behaviour and is generally trying hard to please her foster family, but sometimes has moments of aggression towards them.
Mariah experienced behaviour crisis at the end of the school year, around the festivities. She gets tense when there are too many people around. She finished first grade with high marks.
Update 05/07/2015
Mariah was ill with a virus this month. She lost some front milk teeth. She has episodes of provocative behaviour towards the foster family. She wanted to have a bath in a jerrican and went hysterical when the foster mother refused. She is becoming more independent and is able to dresses and undresses herself and to prepare a toast.
Update 02/08/2015
The child's behaviour is normal after the beginning of the school year. She cannot be forced to do something unless she, herself, wants to do it. She started the school year and is in the 2nd grade. She is doing well and has friends. She tells the other children that her mother is in Germany.
Gloria was placed in foster care in August 2011 when she was 7 years old. She is avoiding contact with the foster family and finding it difficult to trust. She is suspicious towards male people in general. There is no opportunity for reintegration into her family. The mother has been killed. The father is in prison, but she maintains contact with the extended family twice a year.
She had emotional trauma issues related to the loss of her family, but normal physical development.
She is making friends slowly, although she's shy to reach out to her peers because of her Roma origin. She is in school and find maths a bit challenging.
Update 03/05/2015
Gloria visited her birth father in prison this month. She wanted to see if she looked like him. She also met her brother and one of her sisters. She had a phone call with her older sister and this relationship helps her with her identity and belonging.
Update 01/09/2015
At the beginning of the month, Gloria suffered with throat infection, but she was better soon after. The child visited her birth village to see the house where her mother lived and died. After the visit, the child wet herself for the first time since she has been placed with the foster family. She is a student in the 5th grade this year and will no longer attend extra classes for children with learning needs.
Raina was placed in foster care in August 2011 when she was 8 years old. There is no opportunity for reintegration into her family.
She had emotional deficit, but normal physical and cognitive development and is socially more advanced than her peers. She is the staff’s favourite, but avoids forming attachment. A lot of things make her anxious.
In the first month she already demonstrated socially desirable behaviour, and a desire to be liked albeit finding it difficult to trust. She continues to behave in a socially desirable way. She has stopped wetting herself. She has high results at school.
Update 07/06/2015
She wishes to meet her biological father. She wants to see if she looks like him. Continuous identity crisis.
Update 05/07/2015
Raina went to the dentist this month and had a filling. She attends daily events organised by the local authority aimed to educate and prevent violence among the pupils. She has high marks at school, and is reading books from the recommended school list.
Update 01/09/2015
Raina is in the 6th grade. There are a few other foster kids at her school. She will need to move to another foster family, as her current foster parent is retiring and unable to take care of her.
Vladimir was placed in foster care in March 2011 when he was almost 12. There is no contact with the familyand he is on the Adoption Register
He has Down’s syndrome, with emotional deficit, and delays in his physical, mental and cognitive development.
In the first month he already demonstrated socially desirable behaviour and settled well in the foster family.
Update 03/05/2015
He is being prepared for the impending event of another child joining the foster family. He is exhibiting anxiety and uncertainty in relation on to this. He fears losing the love of the foster family. He receives therapy and attends a day centre. There is no contact with the family. He had a dental caries treated.
Update 05/07/2015
He celebrated his birthday. There were other fostered children there, and he played with normally developing children. He likes structure and routine. He gets anxious when there are changes. At the end of the school year he took part in a school play where his role was that of a policeman
Update 01/09/2015
Vladimir started eating tomatoes and drinking yoghurt with water. On his own accord, he started helping the household by emptying the bin every evening. He started the new school year with enthusiasm. He rang the first school bell and also took part in some traditional dancing on the first day of school. His foster family are planning on fostering another child with disability.
Malina was placed in foster care in October 2010 when she was 6 years old. She had emotional deficit, but normal physical development and is socially more advanced than her peers. She is the staff’s favourite, but avoids forming attachment.
In the first month she already demonstrated socially desirable behaviour, and a desire to be liked albeit finding it difficult to trust.
She is in high spirits due to an impending wedding of the son of her foster parents. Her development is in accordance with that of her peers. She won a competition for best painting. She finished the school year with full marks. She was taken to the maternity ward where she was born, as part of her history project.
Update 05/07/2015
The wedding is over. Lots of emotions around it. She is spending the summer holidays in the countryside. She was taken for a first visit with her sister who is 1 year old and was abandoned by the biological mother at birth. The meeting was quite emotional. She also visited the institution where she used to live, and met with the staff, some of whom remember her from her time there
Update 01/09/2015
Malina still has problems with wetting at night, but the incidents are less frequent. Her adoptive family has been consulted about this. The child wets herself when she is going through emotional concerns. The child is very focused on getting good grades at school. She read all the recommended books for the summer. She is good at English and also attends private lessons. During the school year they share a flat with the mother of her foster parent, as well as the family of the foster parent's son.
Avram was placed in foster care in May 2010 when he was 3 years old. He had emotional deficit and physical and cognitive delays. He was long-sighted and had flat feet.
In the first month he already demonstrated socially desirable behaviour, and a desire to be liked albeit he was finding it difficult to trust.
There was contact with the family 6 times in the first year. No possibility of reintegration as the m other has a mental illness
Update 03/05/2015
Avram moved with the foster family to another house – in a village. He finished first grade, he has improved academically compared to the first term. His birth mother is due to visit
Update 05/07/2015
He is due to go to a clinic in Varna for his strabismus. He goes twice a year. He celebrated his birthday in Greece. This is his first trip abroad. He finished first grade with very good results. He met with his biological mother and sister. When his sister is there, the communication with the mother is much better. They played all the time.
Update 01/09/2015
Avram and his foster family went to the seaside in the town of Tzarevo and he absolutely loved it there. He is a student in the 2nd grade. His birth mother is pregnant and she has told the child. He was happy about the news.
Before being placed in to foster care, Anna was at an orphanage of medical and social care; with no contact with her biological family. She was behind both physically and emotionally. Anna has no secure attachments.
Since being placed in to foster care Anna has made significant progress with her development. She has overcome her delays and has started preschool.
A trip to Anna's old orphanage is being planned.
Adoption is being considered and Anna is being helped to find out about her history.
Anna is doing well! She has friends and often competes for attention from adults. There is another foster child in the home.
Update 07/06/2015
Anna's motor skills have improved and she has really nice hand writing. She has finished preschool! Anna is now available for adoption!
Update 01/09/2015
Anna performed at the celebrations for the first school day this new school year. She is happy about the newborn in her foster mother's family.
Prior to his placement in to foster care, Peter lived at a home of medical and social care. A psychologist's report concluded that his emotional development was below average for his age. Peter is very insecure and struggles with boundaries. Physically he is also delayed. He is currently non-verbal and cannot walk independently.
Peter is in foster care and respects boundaries, though school is an issue as Peter often misbehaves. Academically Peter is considered average.
He is in contact with his birth Mum, both over the phone and visiting her. As well as this, Peter has a good relationship with his foster family!
Peter is still developmentally delayed. School is still challenging for him, as he irritates the other children and does not respond well to being told off. Peter and his Mum are still in contact.
Update 07/06/2015
Peter has finished school for the summer break! Towards the end of term his behaviour had improved and he achieved average grades. Peter is now playing with some local children. This is great for his social development as it gives him plenty of opportunity to work on his social skills! His Mum is very involved in his life.
Update 01/09/2015
He has grown in height, but is very slim. He is overall healthy but is picky about food. He is experiencing a difficult time after the summer break. He has not read the required books. There is a scheduled first contact meeting with his birth mother. He went to the seaside for the first time.
Jonathan spent the first days of his life in specialised care for premature babies. His mother declared her wish to look after him, however she did not have any support from relatives and she also has 9 other children. Social services inspected her house and established that it was not safe for the new born to live there. The mother has no income and depends on benefits.
Our foster family looks after Jonathan and administers the prescribed medicine with great care. His health is under medical monitoring and will need to start physiotherapy.
Jonathan put on 5kg in 6 months and is now perfectly well. He no longer needs physiotherapy and medical supervision. He is content and responds to his foster mother joyfully with cooing. He is able to stand with help, plays with his toys and eats from a spoon. His mother has not seen him in those months since she left him.
Update 01/10/2015
Jonathan had fever several times during this period. He was taken to ER and the doctor diagnosed an acute viral infection. Meds were obtained and currently Jonathan no longer has fever but has a clearing rhinitis and cough. He is trying to crawl when his feet are supported by an adult.
He goes to rehab procedures to help his general motor development.
The child has a good emotional tone. He is calm and smiles. He is happy to interact with adults and vocalizes a response. Jonathan holds and throws a toy to the ground. He likes playing like this with an adult, expecting the adult to give him the toy back. He holds a toy, plays for a long time with it by hitting it, waving it, and moving it from hand to hand. He puts the toy in his mouth. He likes musical melodies and shows frustration non-verbally when the music stops in an attempt to show the foster parent his desire for the music to continue. The child is listed in the Adoption Registry.
Update 31/03/2016
Jonathan was hospitalised after suffering from weeping lungs and frequent breathing. He was discharged with improved condition but in the end of March he was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted into hospital again.
He is in a good emotional state, can crawl quickly back and forth as well as sideways. He can walk if held by both hands and loves bath time. Jonathan puts coins in a slot, can remove rings from a pyramid but fails to put cups into each other. He becomes quite bubbly during play time and can mimic a dogs barking. The foster parent has been advised on what type of age appropriate development toys to use in order to improve his fine motor skills.
Two adoption candidate families have been appointed during this period but one of them refused to meet him and the other one decided not to start the adoption procedure.
Neithan is the tenth child in his family. He was abandoned like 4 of the other children. His mother was sentenced for selling one of her babies abroad. He was taken in hospital with a gut infection due to the poor hygiene at home. A week after he was released, his mother left him in a care home, only a month old. He spent a year there before we got a referral from the Social Services to place him in foster care with one of our families.
When Neithan was taken by our foster family, he couldn’t eat by himself and was still in nappy. His vocabulary was very poor, unarticulated, his behaviour was impulsive and uncontrolled. He was behind on his cognitive development and was lacking fine motor skills.
Now Neithan can eat by himself and is potty trained. His communication skills are improving and he is more sociable, observing boundaries and family rules.
Update 05/04/2015
Neithan is settling well in his new family, but has emotional outbursts occasionally. He is still impatient and lacks self-control. He sucks his thumb for comfort. He doesn’t recognise colours or shapes and cannot sort objects. His concentration span is small and gets distracted.
Update 07/06/2015
For the first time in his life Neithan went to the seaside and had an amazing holiday. His foster family bought him a bicycle and he’s now eager to learn how to cycle. He smiles more and has support from the family to overcome his emotional imbalance. He learned to climb up and down the stairs and to build pyramids. He still struggles with his fine motor skills and is not interested to persevere to complete the activities. He met a prospective adoptive couple who did not wish to continue the adoption.
Update 01/10/2015
The child had an acute viral infection during the period. He is now healthy.
He has seen a psychiatrist. According to the specialist, "Neithan is lively, interested in the toys offered to him, and plays for a short time." He engages in simple play and frequently changes what he is doing. Active work with a speech therapist, child specialist and psychologist is recommended, as well as resource help. Application for resource help has been made.
Neithan has been in kindergarten since September.
He learned how to ride a bike. He loves his 3-wheel scooter, a gift from bike club "Ustrem," and he is quickly learning how to move with it. He smiles and keeps good eye contact. He understands and follows simple verbal instructions. Expressive speech is developing; he uses a small active vocabulary, short 2-3-word phrases; sometimes showing echolalia.
The foster parent shares that the child is happy to go to kindergarten and sings on the way there. Sometimes Neithan is aggressive when interacting with other children. He seeks contact in an inappropriate way. The foster parent was counseled on ways to correct this behavior.
He has unstable active attention and slight cognitive delay. He does not hold his attention during kindergarten activities and is not interested in them. He prefers running around and does not play with other children. He is not able to color in a shape and scribbles randomly in a circle.
The child is listed in the Adoption Registry. At this time, there is no prospective adoptive family.
Update 31/03/2016
Neithan had a respiratory infection in the past period which was cleared with the help of prescribed medications. The child is very communicative and greets everyone in the nursery. He still stands up for himself and gets in conflict over toys with other children and also has a selective preference to different food types. He has been seen by a speech therapist since February in the nursery. Neithan recognises red colour and can build a figure out of two separate parts. According to the foster parent she can easily get frustrated and gives up is anything doesn’t go according to her desire. He can count to 10 but sometimes makes mistakes and also gets confused with genders. He prefers to say ‘I don’t know’ rather than give a wrong answer. He is more focused and can keep her attention on one task for a longer time. She can build pyramids and can put cups into each other. Neithan still hasn’t got a firm grip but can draw a balloon or an apple.
An adoption family has been appointed and the first meeting took place in March. The adoption procedure has been started and weekly skype meetings are taking place between the child and his new ‘mum’ and ‘dad’.
Update 01/08/2016
Neithan’s verbal development is significantly behind and is the focus of our specialists. He manages stacking activities and counting to 10 with help, but doesn’t yet know the colours and has very limited concentration span.
Adoption
Danielle is Samuel’s sister, just a year older than her brother and abandoned for financial reasons three months after birth. He was malnourished when he was left at the care home and had developed an allergy. She is now physically healthy, but also has learning delays.
Danielle shows some uneasiness and agitation. She sometimes had tantrums when she’s affected. She is impatient and impulsive sometimes, but normally has a positive attitude.
She has good gross motor skills, but has learning deficiencies and even struggles to count to 10 although she is already 7 years old. She is interested in learning to work with the computer.
Danielle is very fearful and imagines people trying to hurt her. No reasoning works to convince her otherwise. She struggles to decode the social and emotional reactions of others. She giggles alone and exhibits unanticipated behaviour. She can’t concentrate and sometimes doesn’t understand what is said. She cannot retell a story in the logical sequence of events with no link between the sentences and has chaotic thoughts. She will be seen by a psychiatrist to determine if she has cognitive deficiency.
Update 05/04/2015
Danielle is very fearful and imagines people trying to hurt her. No reasoning works to convince her otherwise. She struggles to decode the social and emotional reactions of others. She giggles alone and exhibits unanticipated behaviour. She can’t concentrate and sometimes doesn’t understand what is said. She cannot retell a story in the logical sequence of events with no link between the sentences and has chaotic thoughts. She will be seen by a psychiatrist to determine if she has cognitive deficiency.
Update 01/06/2015
Danielle’s emotions are still in turmoil. Her social contacts are falling behind. The conclusion from the meeting with the psychiatrist was that she is behind on her mental development and doesn’t understand verbal instruction. She participates in games but refuses to participate in learning activities.
Update 01/08/2015
Danielle is emotionally unstable. She’s triggered easily and cannot handle losses or inaccurate completion of the tasks she’s given. She’s uncomfortable around other children, being unable to compromise or cooperate in a game. She doesn’t know the letters yet. She strives to complete the tasks she’s given and the praises encourage her to try harder.
Update 01/10/2015
Danielle had an acute viral infection during the period. She is now healthy.
The child has a hard time opening up to strangers but once she knows them and feels safe to communicate with them, she is happy to interact. She has a low frustration tolerance. Sometimes she goes into tantrums, which are difficult for her teachers to control. For better support, she will work with specialists from the center "Joy for Our Children," located near the foster family's home, because she is unable to attend the more distant center "Iris" after school.
Her behavior is not easily subject to structure. She is still unable to adequately interact with her classmates.
According to her teacher, Danielle knows the letters they have studied so far. She knows the digits 1-10. She is trying to keep up with the pace in class but is easily frustrated and sometimes has to be taken out, where she is not disturbing her classmates and get individual instruction from the pedagogical counselor at school. She also works with a resource teacher twice a week. The child is listed in the Adoption Registry. At this time, there is no prospective adoptive family.
Samuel is from a family of 10 children, four of whom live with their biological parents, 5 are in care and 1 is sold abroad. Immediately after birth his mother decided to leave him due to financial pressures and lack of support from relatives. She is unemployed and the father has unstable income. The family has been found digging in the trash bins and the children are used for begging. The mother has a 3-year suspended sentence for selling another one of her babies in Greece.
Samuel is healthy with up to date immunisations. He shows some anxiety, but is really trying to be polite and helpful. He is very artistic.
Samuel has good gross motor skills, but is behind in his maths and reading abilities. He is behind at school with difficulties particular in comparison, analysis and spatial awareness.
Update 05/04/2015
Samuel had a viral infection this month. He is calm at home, but has frequent tantrums at school. He is very emotionally unstable. Our psychologist works with him and to improve his confidence and learning motivation. He is also seen by a speech therapist as he struggles with certain sounds. He needs to have his occlusion corrected. We’re applying for a special educational needs teacher.
Update 07/06/2015
Samuel is undergoing dental care in preparation for the orthodontic apparatus. His self-control has improved since the beginning of the sessions with the psychologist. He really tries and works hard. He has short concentration spans and small vocabulary. He still struggles with reading, writing and maths. He shows signs of dyslexia.
Update 31/03/2016
Samuel had a respiratory infection in the past period. His teeth cavity treatment is in its final stages. Although he has been very calm Samuel had sporadic self wound inflicting tantrums. Our specialists have been working with him to improve his adequate emotional expressions and anger management. He readily joins organised workshops where he makes ‘martenitsi’.
According to his teacher Samuel is constantly seeking attention and praise. He often copies texts and mathematical problems working with the class as a group. He is not fluent in his reading but maths is not his strong side. He only copies mechanically the tasks without even trying to understand why some things are being done. His class is learning how to add and subtract numbers in excess of 100 as well as the multiplication table but Samuel still cannot do any of these. He requires individual assistance with his work.
Samuel is on the adoption register and a candidate family has been appointed but they have not yet confirmed if they want to meet with him.
Update 01/10/2016
Samuel had an acute viral infection during the period. He is now healthy.
He is afraid of the dentist but had several dental exams. He is about to start treatment. He was also consulted about dental prophylaxis.
He is emotionally unstable, restless, impulsive, frequently agitated and tense, with volatile moods. He is often in an agitated state. Samuel has a hard time following instructions - he accepts instruction but quickly forgets and acts impulsively. He is still learning the skill of following rules at school. He is attempting to form friendships with children at school but often frustrates them with his actions.
The child is helped by a resource teacher this year. He knows about concepts such as seasons and lists three seasons, skipping spring. He does not know the names of all months or how many months are in a year. He does not know the current month. He is unable to tell which months belong to which seasons. He recognizes the different seasons in a picture. He also knows the parts of the day, days of the week and their order. He correctly lists the days of the week and knows what day it is today, what yesterday was and what tomorrow will be. He correctly uses "yesterday," "today," and "tomorrow" in a sentence. He cannot read a clock.
Samuel does not have established spatial awareness. Orientation relative to objects and changing the point of reference is difficult. He is still unable to project the reference point from himself onto another. The child is listed in the Adoption Registry. At this time, there is no prospective adoptive family.
Adoption
Dominic was born to a Mother who was the victim of violence and attempted human trafficing; resulting in him being placed into foster care.
Dom's Mother was placed into a safehouse, where she completed a catering course. She is keen to maintain a relationship with her son.
Dom’s foster family is very caring. They have two daughters, 15 and 17, who really spoil the child with love and attention. Dom quickly adapted to the family and enjoys the contacts with friends and relatives. He feels at home and has his own space for sleep and play. The foster family bought a variety of development toys and meets every need of the child. They take him to playgrounds and walks frequently. Dom appears happy and well settled.
Dominic is settled with his foster family and has a good relationship with both foster sisters. He has suffered with tonsillitis.
Visits with his mother are infrequent, something that is very confusing for Dom.
His foster family are keen for him to start nursary, however there are no places available.
Update 07/12/2014
Dominic is improving and is physically healthy. He now has a secure relationship with his mother; seeing her once a week. As well as this, his grandmother and older brother are willing to care for him. This is great, since Dom's Mother is unable to care for him due to her long working ours.
Update 01/02/2015
Dominik is now reintegrated and lives with his grandmother and sees his Mother offten. He gets on well with his stepbrother. Academically he is improving as well. He is able to recognise more colours and animals. His motor skills have also developed as he is able to zip and unzip things without help!
Alicia's family is very poor and cannot look after her, so they're considering leaving her for adoption.
Alicia is healthy with average birth weight.
She has gained 1.5lb already and settling well in her foster family.
Update 22/02/2015
Alicia has now been adopted and happily enjoys the long awaited love and attention. Good luck, dear child.
Adoption
Nancy's mother is 16 and not prepared to look after her, so she is considering leaving her for her adoption. We took her in foster care at 1 week.
Nancy is in good health.
She is gaining weight well and settled happily in her foster family.
Update 06/07/2014
Nancy is healthy and lively. She actively seeks her familiar people and responds happily when she sees them and coos back. She has a favourite musical toy which she likes to play with most frequently. The perspective adoptive family have acquired extensive medical tests for her before they can decide if they’re prepared to take her.
Update 03/08/2014
Nancy’s medical tests went well and proved her good health, so the adoption proceeded and now Nancy is placed with her new adoptive family. Best of luck, dear child!
Adoption
Val's mother didn't know she was pregnant until his delivery, so she was not prepared to decide if she wanted to keep him or give him for adoption. Despite the support from the team, she decided to give him for adoption after some thought.
Val was premature and very small at birth, weighing only 6lb at two months. He had bleeding in the brain and the eye, so he is under close medical supervision.
Val put on 4lb in the two weeks without foster family. His foster mother is very caring and he is now a content baby. His bleeding has started to dissipate.
Update 08/08/2015
Val was seen by a neurologist this month. He has some noise in the heart. His motor skills are appropriate for his age. He gets really excited to experiment with the noise objects make when he drops them on the floor. He met a perspective adoptive family from America. He accepted them gladly and attends the meetings with his foster mother. He blows kisses and tries to hug the monitor when they meet on Skype.
Victor was hospitalised shortly after his birth, where it became clear that he was not adequately looked after. His mother left him in the hospital, so he was placed in one of our foster families upon his release.
Victor was born only 6lb but is well now.
In the two weeks our family has looked after Vic, he's put on a pound and really doing well. The foster family and their biological children adore the little baby.
Update 08/08/2015
The foster family moved to a different municipality and Victor is now looked after by another foster care provider.
Peppa was left in care home when she was 1y 5m. Her mother, 18y, comes from a very poor family, where Peppa has been used for begging. Peppa's grandmother has many abandoned children. Peppa hasn't been visited since the day of her abandonment. We have made attempts for re-integration and scheduled meetings with the mother, which she never attended. We are investigating if the child was beaten, because she is very scared whenever someone reaches out to her, blinks rapidly and protects her face with her hands. She is very quiet and never smiles.
Peppa is a first born from a normal pregnancy. She is developing is developing well and has no health problems.
Peppa started the matching meetings with her new family on 5 Jul. She was very shy and serious at first, but adapted quickly to her new home. She developed strong attachments to her foster family, especially the father. She sings and laughs all the time now, playing with her very own toys. She is lively and clearly very content in her new environment.
Update 30/09/2013
Peppa was 10.5kg when she left the care home and steadily started to gain weight under the tender care of her foster family. Only a month later, she is 12kg, well settled and playful.
Update 13/01/2014
Peppa is now registered for adoption as all attempts to contact the biological family have been unsuccessful.
Update 27/03/2014
Peppa was adopted and was given a new name, new family and a bright new life. Wish her every best.
Adoption
Fatima was placed in an institution from her birth. She never met her biological family and is logged in the international registrar for adoption.
Fatima was born prematurely. She feeds with difficulty, but doesn't have major health problems. She cannot chew solid foods, cannot drink from a cup and cannot feed herself. She cannot walk. She is behind on her physical, social and intellectual development. She also has the stereotypical rocking motion observed in most children from the institutions.
Fatima started the matching meetings with her new family on 15 July 2013. She was scared of the car at first, but now travels happily. She is relaxed in her new environment and takes her time to explore every object. She made her first few steps thanks to the great effort and encouragement on her foster mother's part. She constantly seeks her mother's attention and wants to walk around holding her hand. She now eats with appetite, sleeps well and enjoys the company of her family's guests. The stereotypical motions have reduced.
Update 30/09/2013
Fatima had the most to catch up on her weight and her foster family put increased focus to overcome her eating problems. She was 7.4kg when she left the care home and was very thin. She is now 9.2kg and is eating well. That new strength she’s gaining has also helped her to start walking and even says a few words.
Update 13/01/2014
Fatima is now registered for adoption in Bulgaria and the international register. She makes attempts to speak and sing songs. She understands well when spoken to and copies certain activities she's shown.
Update 27/03/2014
Fatima is starting to speak using Bulgarian and Turkish words. She caught up with the motor skills for her age and overcame the deficiencies built up in the care home. She's the perfect example for how children thrive in a family environment. She is friendly with children and adults and smiles almost all the time.
Update 22/05/2014
Fatima is unrecognisibly changed for the better. She is friendly, smiley, playful, she dances and sings. She prefers Turkish and is very verbal in it.
Update 04/01/2015
Fatima is inseparable from her soft toy Minnie Mouse, which she received from her adoptive parents, who are having matching meetings with her now. She’s started making friends and is more sociable with children her age. She loves music and instruments and really enjoys nursery rhymes, even though she cannot yet sing them yet. Her foster mother encourages her to hold a pen and draw by enhancing her scribbles into animals.
Update 08/02/2015
Fatima seeks attention by playful dances and gestures. She interacts well with other children and takes part in group games. Her foster mother helps her paint and hold a pen. She recognises different animals and makes their sounds. The meetings with the adoptive parents continue.
Update 28/02/2015
Fatima is now adopted in America. May her life be blessed in every way and that she would be a blessing to those around her.
Adoption

Vicky, Robbie's sister, was raised by her family up until 1y 7m, when she was placed in care home. Her family was unstable with low income. She has visits her family and is strongly attached to her mother.
Vicky is developing considerably well for the conditions in the institutions and has no health problems.
Vicky started the matching meetings with her new family on 3 July 2013 along with her brother Robbie. She made good friends with her foster mother's grand daughter. They play together and dance at music.
Update 30/09/2013
Vicky also increased her weight since the care home from 14.2kg to 15.3kg. She is very artistic and her foster family take her to weekly classes, where she thoroughly enjoys her arts.
Update 13/01/2014
Vicky has been attending the Children's centre for the past couple of months to enhance her educational development. She has learned short poems and songs. She visits her biological family once a month.
Update 27/03/2014
Vicky speaks Bulgarian and Turkish. She knows and follows the rules in the house and reminds her little brother Robbie to follow them also. She enjoys going to nursery. Vicky also calls her foster mother "mommy", although she knows and loves her biological family. The later have financial incapacity to look after her and Robbie with their 11 children. They see the children once a month and the meetings go well.
Update 22/05/2014
Vicky goes to nursery with her brother, developing very well.The relationship between foster and biological family is good, so the children thrive.
Update 01/01/2015
All visits between Vicky and her birth Mum have stopped due to her birth Mum failing to turn up. Vicky misses her Mum a lot, but has a secure attachment with her foster Mum.
She has been diagnosed with a parasitic infection and is recieving treatment. Due to this Vicky was unable to attend her nersary Christmas party. However there was a party held at the local childrens centre, that Vicky was able to attend and she had a fantastic time singing Christmas carols!
Update 05/04/2015
Vicky was placed in to foster care due to her biological parents being unable to meet her needs. She is still in contact with her birth Mum. Her Father is currently in prison.
Upon visiting the GP, Vicky was diagnosed with a viral infection; which she recieved treatment for.
She is a sociable and animated child, who has a good relationship with her foster Mum.
Update 01/06/2015
Vicky now attends nersary and is doing well! She is very interested in looking at books and gets on well with the other children. She is now seeing a speach therapist.
During a recient performance Vicky took part in one of the dance shows.
She still has a strong relationship with her foster Mum, although visits with her birth Mum are infrequent.
Update 01/07/2015
Vicky is making great progress with her speach therapist, with her ability to pronounce words improving. As well as this, Vicky's fine motor skills are also developing. She can now use scisers, glue and stick!
Vicky's bond with her foster Mum is still as strong as ever!! Vicky is now recovered from the parasitic infection and is a healthy happy little girl.
Update 01/08/2015
At present the child is clinically healthy . Vicky has good co-ordination and motor skills. She can dress and undress herself. She alerts her carers when she needs to go to the lavatory. She can feed herself. The child is emotionally well. She does not allow herself to get into emotional extremes. Her confidence is growing as she is no longer looking for approval by adults when she engages in activities. Vicky communicates well with children of her own age who live in the same street. She likes to interact and play with them. She is not confrontational. Her behaviour aims at interaction and co-operation with her peers. She shows interest in various activities. She can quickly find matching pictures. She names simple activities from the household and everyday life. She knows about fruit and vegetables, but does not always recognize them. She knows several primary colours. She can stack geometrical shapes and can assemble a Russian doll. She has good spatial awareness and knows about :”inside-outside”, „up-down”, „in front-at the back-beside”, „left-right”. She colours in almost within the lines. Meetings between the child and his biological parents are taking place once a month. The parents have applied for reintegration.
Update 31/03/2016
Vicky had a respiratory infection during the last month and the necessary medication was administered as prescribed by the GP. She freely communicates and engages in organised group games with her peers but cannot follow the rules. Vicky has a strong bond with her foster mother turning to her for help and support. She still desires physical closeness with the social workers and her nursery teacher shares that Vicky is eager for attention.
She can group elements by shape and colour but cannot remember their names. Vicky cannot tell the difference between day and night or different seasons but has a certain understanding for dimensions. She learned a verse for mother’s day. Her biological parents have applied for reintegration but six months later still haven’t got regular incomes allowing them to look after her and the other three children they have in foster care.
Reintegration - we are working with the biological family to equip them to receive Vicky back.

Robbie only saw his mom for a few moments before she left the birth centre and only returned once to bid fairwell. He never saw her again. He lives in the care home with his sister Vicky, who is 3y 7m.
Robbie is uneasy, listless, avoids eye contact and rocks back and forth. He doesn't speak at all yet.
Robbie started the matching meetings with his new family on 3 Jul along with his sister Vicky. They warmed up to them quickly and were sad when they left. Robbie got so attached to his new mom, that he shows jealousy when she interacts with other children. He plays with his new toys but always keeps an eye on his mom.
Update 30/09/2013
Robbie was 11kg when she left the care home and reached the more healthy 12.8kg for his age in just a month. His speech is developing rapidly now. He still shows jealousy of his sister Vicky and they both fight for attention, although not as often now that they’re both showered with good care.
Update 13/01/2014
Robbie has become more communicative as his vocabulary has started to expand dramatically with all the new attention he receives now. He visits her biological family once a month.
Update 27/03/2014
Robbie is learning to speak fast and his anxiety is noticeably reduced. He is starting to interact with people outside his foster family and initiates games with them. He understands what they say to him and even proudly carries out some small tasks. He calls his foster mother "mommy". He was introduced to his biological family after he was placed in foster care and is starting to bond with them, wanting hugs and kisses.
Update 22/05/2014
Robbie started attending nursery. He is now perfectly settled and content with his foster family. He meets his biological family once a month and enjoys their company, but is not upset when leaving the meeting.
Update 01/07/2014
Robbie is able to throw a ball, but not always to catch it. He is able to go up and down stairs, while holding on to the railing. His movements when running are stable - he does not experience any balance issues and he does not fall. He is very active. It's hard for him to concentrate. He moves from activity to activity very fast. He is stubborn. He is very much attached to his sister and to his foster parent. He always looks for them when he needs help. He is able to take away the rings out of a pyramid toy, but he is not able to stack them back up. He is able to put in order a toy with different big elements. He is able to play with nesting buckets of different size by using a trial and error approach. He is not able to play with variuos geometric figures. He does not recognise colour. He does not know how the different parts of his body are called. He is not interested in books. He plays with cubes and orders them in the form of houses. He waves goodbye and gives a kiss with his hand. He has not had a meeting with his biological parents during this period.
Update 01/08/2014
The foster family experienced a great loss – the foster father passed away. So far there is no indication that this loss is causing any emotional or physical issues for Robbie. He is still in a good, stable state and there are no signs for concern. The child is very much attached to the foster mother and look to her for support. He has also started communicating with an older person who he did not know. He can hold a pencil and draw on a sheet of paper. He waves goodye and gives a kiss with his hand. He is struggling in following instructions. There have been meetings between the child and his mother. His father is for now serving a sentence in a prison in Varna.
Update 01/09/2014
Robbie’s tests, which are needed to sign him up for kindergarden confirmed he’s clinically healthy. During the meetings between Rachko and his biological mother, he goes between being close to her and then going away to play with a toy. He does not show any signs of sadness when they say goodbye. The adopted parent says that Robbie does not ask for his biological mother. There are signs that he has a speech impediment. He does not understand short instructions given by adults. He can hold a pencil and draw on a sheet of paper. He cannot put his clothes on by himself.
Update 01/10/2014
He had a viral infection in this period, but is now fully recovered. For the past period, there have been no meetings between him and his biological mother. He is not asking for her. He is very happy with his foster parent. At kindergarden, he is struggling to follow instructions; his attention is hard to keep and therefore it's hard to keep him involved in group activities. He does not tell when he needs to go to the bathroom. His learning skills are behind for his age.
Update 01/06/2015
Robbie’s gross motor skills are improving by the day. He’s always in action, climbing, jumping, kicking, throwing balls, running. His fine motor skills need more help though, such as cutting with scissors. His social skills are slightly behind. He doesn’t play with the children in the nursery and doesn’t talk with them. He’s very emotional and cries frequently. He doesn’t participate in group activities and doesn’t understand instructions well due to his limited vocabulary.
Robbie met his biological family twice this month. He doesn’t have emotional bond with his mother and seeks his foster mother for support during the meetings.
Update 01/08/2015
At present the child is clinically healthy . Robbie often has a runny nose and cannot attend nursery. The foster parent says that the GP refuses to perform an antibiogram on bacterial strains isolated from nasal secretions or to refer the child to an ENT specialist. The child befriends and plays with the children from the neighbourhood. Emotional deficits can still be observed, Robbie still sucks his thumb. Robbie is lively and happy. He does not allow himself to get into emotional extremes. He is learning to adequately express his emotions. He reacts positively to praise from adults and he is seeking praise from adults after completing a task successfully. He is attempting to stand his grounds. He still greets every female that he doesn't know with "mum" but he uses "auntie" after being reminded. Robbie is eager to learn. He can find his way quickly. Identifies matching pictures. He plays well with stacking toys. Counts up to 10 but makes mistakes. He has limited knowledge about certain fruit, vegetables and animals. He cannot hold a pen correctly. He tries to colour in within the lines. He is aware of maths concepts such as "big", "small". He can assemble a Russian doll with the help of an adult. Meetings between the child and his biological parents are taking place once a month. The parents have applied for reintegration.
Update 31/03/2016
Robbie is in a good health and doesn’t wet his bed during the day sleeps. He has settled well in the nursery and follows instructions. During meetings with his biological parents he is indifferent to them and is looking for cuddles from his foster mother only whom he calls ‘mommy’. Robbie has improved his vocabulary and can form complete sentences trying to even recite parts of poems and songs. He still lacks understanding of dimensions and has difficulties whilst trying to cut shapes with the scissors and still has sessions with a speech therapist. Robbie has scheduled monthly meetings with his biological parents but the often fail to attend. His parents have filed an application to reintegrate him back to the family but six months later they still have no regular incomes and cannot look after Robbie and the other three children which are placed with foster parents.
Reintegration - we are working with the biological family to equip them to receive Robbie back.
Ivy suffers frequently from severe viral infections. Her family endangered her life when they didn't follow the doctor's prescription when she was only 2y 8m. She was taken away into care home. Ivy's dad and nanny visited her a few times, but soon those visits ceased and she was left all by herself.
It seems Ivy's speech development ceased with those visits too. Her motor and art skills, emotional and social development are also estimated to be of two and a half years of age.
Ivy started the matching meetings with her new family on 2 July 2013. She was scared and and shy at first, but soon became lively and excited about her family's visits. She feels home in the new house and curiously explores her surroundings. She seeks constant contact with her foster mother and says she loves her. She repeats every word she hears. Ivy likes building jigsaws with her new mother the most.
Update 13/01/2014
Ivy thrives in foster care and rapidly compensates the deficiencies from the institution. Her communication has noticeably improved and she is now able to express her emotions in the safety of her caring foster parents.
Update 27/03/2014
Ivy is still behind the development for her age group, but her vocabulary progressively expands thanks to the songs and books she now hears in her foster family. A speech therapist also works on her pronunciation. She will be registered for adoption this month.
Update 22/05/2014
Ivy's speech flourashes. She is now registered for adoption. The family intends to move to another region, so Ivy's case will have to be transferred to another foster care pprovider.
Adoption - Ivy's family is not prepared to receive her back.
Vince was born in Greece, but was brought to Bulgaria without a birth certificate and taken into social care at 2 months of age. His parents emigrated and never visited him at the care home.
Vince’s health is good, however he is psychologically underdeveloped for his age. He had only interacted with children up to 3 years of age and was unable to socialise with older children.
Vince was deeply distressed seeing other children find families and leave the Care home, and had been eagerly waiting for one to be found at last for him too. His foster mother and her son quickly helped him overcome the fear and uneasiness. He started to enjoy the walks with his new family and the home made delicacies. Two weeks after he started the matching meetings, he declared he wanted to stay with his foster family “forever”.
Update 13/01/2014
Vince needs extensive support to overcome the deficiencies built up in the care home. He is still behind with his educational development.
Update 27/03/2014
Vince started attending nursery, which is helping his educational development. His pronunciation is improving with the help of a speech therapist. He is on a good track to overcome the care home deficiencies.
Update 22/05/2014
Vince will be moved to another region and then registered for adoption. The meetings with his new foster family are ongoing.
Adoption
During a planned visit, the social workers established that Steph’s mother has left the country. The child was left with no parental care, but was left at the care of her juvenile sisters. She was taken in care home and her mother declared she would take her back upon her return, which she never did.
When assessed by a paediatrician, Steph’s life was found seriously endangered, due to severe malnourishment, extremely low hygiene, dehydrated and lethargic. She was not able to sit at the age of 10 months, to crawl, to lift herself up or turn over while lying. She has not taken solids, hence was not able to chew.
In the short time with the foster family, Steph has been fed with a spoon and has started to develop chewing reflex. She has become alert and has started to make sounds to show her content.
Update 13/01/2014
Steph was temporarily hospitalised after asthmatic spasm. Her foster family supports her to walk. She recognises familiar faces and responds with sounds when she is spoken to.
Update 27/03/2014
Steph's parents applied to start the reintegration process. They are willing to take her back home. She is catching up with the development for her age.
Update 22/05/2014
We're working towards reintegration with Steph. Her family should return from abroad soon. She's developing really well, even surpassing her age group in some areas.
Update 08/08/2015
The motor skills are as expected for this age. She tends to squat while playing and then goes back to her initial position. She can climb stairs up and down, holding on to the baluster. She holds big crayons in her fist and scribbles enthusiastically on big pieces of paper. She climbs on a chair, turns and sits. She uses her leg to push toys on wheels. She feeds herself with a spoon. The child is attempting to initiate interaction with other kids, she approaches them but is still not actively seeking contact with them. She likes babies and is especially fond of the neighbour's baby. She asks about him, looks for him and when she sees him, she wants to stroke him. She still resorts to physical aggression when she is angry or upset. She loves playing with sand, water, etc. She is very impatient. Steph is starting nursery soon. She scribbles aimlessly on paper. Her passive and active speech are developing. She can use 2- 3 word sentences. She can build a tower of six cubes. She is not yet able to stack cups. She can name cat and duck on paper. She can say her name and follows instructions. She baths a doll, she puts it to bed and feeds it. She can name objects in illustrated books; she pretends to take something from the page and smell it. She recognizes and expresses pain and points to its location. She scribbles on paper and can make a nest. The family has not come back from abroad. The social worker is considering entering the child in the adoption register.
Reintegration
Sally was taken in social care due to suspicions that she may have been sexually abused by relatives of the family.
Sally is normally developed for her age with good health overall.
Sally is a lively curious child. She quickly established good relationship with the foster family and openly shares stories of her life. She declares that she likes it so much better at her new family that she wants to stay there for good. She likes playing with the child of the foster parents, who is very caring and supportive of her. Sally participated in the opening of the school year with a poem, which her foster mother helped her memorise.
Update 13/01/2014
Sally is very clever and thrives in the care of her foster mother, who is a teacher and stimulates her with a range of varied activities. She sings and draws very well. She meets her biological parents twice a month with little pleasure, because they are always negative and unfriendly.
Update 27/03/2014
Sally's father has gone to work abroad and her mother is preparing to follow, which will hinder the reintegration process. They have shared thoughts of taking Sally along when they settle, but given their frequent change of commitment, her future is uncertain.
Update 22/05/2014
Sally is a smart little lady, whose bahaviour changed with the right guidance and positive encouragement. Her bond with the biological family is damaged and she blames them for all that they have done to her, inspite the reassurances of the foster mother.
Update 06/07/2014
Sally overcame the anxiety towards her biological family. She asks for visits and tries to involve her biological mother in her everyday activities.
She is a talented singer and wishes to attend musical classes. She even writes songs by herself and comes up with wonderful rhymes. She shows artistic skills and draws detailed pictures.
Update 03/08/2014
Sally is now back with her biological family. Pray that she will never be abandoned again.
Reintegration
Gabby is Pam’s sister. They were taken in social care due to the inadequate social and economic conditions of their environment. The family has no income or house. The mother has been physically and psychologically abused by her partner, which the children witnessed.
Gabby is physically well, but her emotional and educational development is underdeveloped.
Gabby and Pam were shy and unsettled with the foster family at first, but then she started to like the attention. They enjoyed walks to the aquarium and the playground. The sisters are showered with toys and crafts materials. They’re both starting school this year.
Update 13/01/2014
Gabby is doing very well at pre-school. Her foster family has established hygiene habits she follows with pleasure. She likes to help in the preparation of pastries. Gabby and her sister Pam meet their biological parents twice a month.
Update 27/03/2014
Gabby constantly competes with Pam, so they are both encouraged and supported to develop their personal qualities to avoid sibling rivalry. Gabby is very bright and is doing well at school, but also needs a speech therapist.
Update 22/05/2014
Gabby and Pam stayed with their parents for a night. Both girls have a strong bond with their family (both families for that matter - the biological and the foster one). Gabby is amongst the top of her class
Update 01/07/2014
At the start of the school year, the foster parent will look for option to sign her up for sports, depending on her preferences. Gabby, like her sister, went horse riding. She was praised by the people who work at the horse base.
Gabby had a birthday last month. The foster family organized a large party at their house. Gabby received many presents; one of the presents was an inflatable pool, which is now in the yard and Gabby and her sister have fun bathing in it. The biological family also had a party, bought a cake and invited friends and family. They gave her the bike that she had wanted for a long time.
Gabby, like her sister, is excited that she will be going to school. She willingly writes and completes the assignments her foster parent is giving her for self-preparation. She has well-developed logical thinking. Analytical and reasoning abilities are good for age. Long-term and short-term memory are within normal range.
The child is continuing to have visitations with her biological parents and her little brother every second and last weekend each month.
Update 01/08/2014
The foster mother, is encouraging Gabby to be more active and to participate in sports because she is heavier and likes snacking.
Gabby is a little anxious and is anticipating the start of the school year. Most children in her class are her friends from her pre-school group. The event both children are excited about is going to the pool while they were visiting the biological family.
Concentration and attention span are good for age. Gabby completes requests and assignments until done. When she is interested in an activity, she can do it for a long time. Lately, her interest in assignments related to her preparation for 1st grade has fallen. The foster parent was advised to reduce them so that her motivation to study after the start of school year would not be completely lost.
She spends Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the biological family with the expectation that the integration will complete in Feb.
Update 01/09/2014
The child has good drawing skills for age and when writing she is careful to avoid scratching and redacting. She writes numbers and the alphabet correctly. She can determine which number is smaller and which is larger. She can add and subtract up to 20. She can group object by a common criterion. Her attention is good for her age.
Update 01/10/2014
Gabby was evaluated by a speech therapist who determined there was need to work with the child to correct the deficits in her speech development and particularly her expressive speech. At school, several children pushed Gabby during play and she said offensive words to them. This event was not caused by children's rejection of Gabby, who, in fact, is not discriminated in class. She has established friendships with the other children in her class.
Update 01/11/2014
Gabby also received many presents around her sister's birthday. She is polite and courteous, follows social conventions when she communicates with children and adults, and she is capable of sharing her things with other children. She cares for her family. She often asks about her mother and shares that she wants to live with her.
Gabby does better in school than her sister. This is why she helps Pam when she is having difficulties. The child does not attend afternoon study and prepared for her classes and does her homework at home with the help of the foster parent.
Update 21/12/2014
Gabby is healthy and has not been ill during the last period.
She burnt her right hand on the stove at the home of the biological family. The wound is not big and is in the process of healing.
Gabby spent the Christmas break at the biological family's home. She shared that New Year was exciting and there were fireworks and firecrackers. Gabby also shared about her Christmas present - a tape/CD player, which she does not want to take to the biological family's home because it is possible that her little brother could break it. She knows that the time when she will again live with her biological family is coming. She is excited about that but she stated that she definitely does not want to end her relationship with the foster family.
Gabby is careful and diligent, more able to concentrate and finishes her assignments faster. Her short-term memory is better. Gabby also learned a poem by heart and recites it, but not as expressively as her sister does. The child has some difficulties with reading. She has a hard time connecting the syllables in a word and does not understand the text.
Update 01/02/2015
Pam and Gabby were reintegrated back to their biological family. Pray they take good care of them this time.
Reintegration

Pam is Gabby’s sister. They were taken in social care due to the inadequate social and economic conditions of their environment. The family has no income or house. The mother has been physically and psychologically abused by her partner, which the children witnessed.
Pam is physically well, but her emotional and educational development is underdeveloped.
Gabby and Pam were shy and unsettled with the foster family at first, but then she started to like the attention. They enjoyed walks to the aquarium and the playground. The sisters are showered with toys and crafts materials. They’re both starting school this year.
Update 13/01/2014
Pam goes to pre-school with her sister Gabby, although she's younger. She is very confident in her sister's presence and develops very well academically. She meets her biological parents twice a month.
Update 27/03/2014
Pam works hard at pre-school, endeavouring to keep up with Gabby. She is waiting to be assigned a speech therapist.
Update 22/05/2014
Pam's fortnightly meetings with her biological family continue and very soon they'll be ready to take her back.
Update 01/07/2014
The foster parent took her horse riding, where she quickly learned the pose and skills to ride a horse.
Pam is excited by the idea of becoming a student. She shares that she cannot wait to begin studying in 1st grade. She is happy to visit her biological parents on the weekend. She does not protest when she goes back to the foster family.
Pam will enrol in 1st grade with her sister Gabby. After the start of the school year, the foster parent will look for a chorus to sign her up because she likes to sing. She can complete assignments that she will be working on in school. Her analytical and reasoning abilities are very good for her age. Long-term and short-term memory are in normal range.
The child continues visitations with her biological parents and her brother bi-weekly.
Update 01/08/2014
According to the children, their last visit with the biological family was "awesome." Their parents took them to a pool where they spent almost the entire day, as this is one of the favourite activities of both children. The biological family would like to attend their first day of school. We anticipate that the social worker will permit that. Pam is calmly looking forward to starting 1st grade and her motivation is greater, unlike her sister, even though she is younger.
Pam solves math problems and practices her reading. When she solves a problem correctly, she gets a stamp reward from the foster parent. She has a rich concept vocabulary; in conversation, she makes some grammatical errors but the foster parent is diligently correcting her. Her attention and concentration are average for her age.
She started to spend Friday and the weekend with her biological family.
Update 16/09/2014
The visits between the children and the biological family are becoming more frequent. They will now start to take Pam and her sister Gabby on a walk on Saturdays once a month. Pam's first day at school went well. In the beginning, Pam was worried about what would happen. She cried during the school production but her mother calmed her down. The biological mother and the foster family were present for the event, after which they went to celebrate.
The child does not keep her attention for a sufficiently long time and is easily distracted. Her graphical skills are not very good for her age. She does not write letters and digits well. She can solve problems requiring the grouping of items based on a common trait, however, she quickly loses interest, which causes her to give the wrong answers.
Update 01/10/2014
Pam was evaluated by a speech therapist, who determined that the child does not have speech and communication problems. Pam and her sister Gabby decided to give flowers to their teacher. At the end of the day, the class teacher took the flowers with her, but the afternoon study teacher threw them out. This saddened Gabby and Pam. According to the foster parent, the study teacher has a negative attitude towards the two children due to their ethnicity and social status. She is a substitute teacher and will be leaving her position soon. The child has friendships with the children in the class.
Pam has difficulty coping with school. Her graphic skills are not good, she has a hard time writing letters and numbers. Her work is not clean and diligent. She colours outside the outlines, cuts roughly with scissors. She has a hard time doing calculations with the numbers from 1 to 10. She is not able to do all assignments during classes and she needs additional work at the foster family's home.
Update 01/11/2014
Pam's face was scratched by a cat at the biological family's home, her mother treated it with cream for scars and the scratches healed quickly.
Pam had a birthday during the last period. She received many presents from the foster family and their friends and family. One of her favourite presents is a piano and the foster parent is trying to teach her how to play. The biological family also gave her a present - a baby stroller. Pam had two birthday celebrations, with the biological and with the foster family
The child has a rich vocabulary, her speech is correct and her expression is very good. She sometimes speaks hurriedly and skips some sounds. She does the school assignments. She does not attend afternoon study and prepares for her classes at home.
Update 01/12/2014
She has a cold which is being treated by the foster family with herbs, honeys and strengthening foods and vitamins.
Pam spent the Christmas break in her biological family's home and she could not wait to see her parents and little brother. She received early presents from the foster family - a jacket, jeans, toys, and the best present according to her - a cassette/CD player which she shares with her sister. They listen to tradition folk music on it. Pam and Gabby like traditional Bulgarian ring dancing and the foster parent often teaches them new steps.
Pam has a resource teacher in math and Bulgarian. She remembers and reproduces information but is distracted and this sometimes impedes the educational process. At this time, Pam does not have difficulties with the educational material. The foster family helps her with homework assignments.
Update 01/02/2015
Pam and Gabby were reintegrated back to their biological family. Pray they take good care of them this time.
Reintegration
Ruth is Flora’s sister. Their mother left to work abroad and the children remained with their grandmother, who was unable to take care for them. They were placed urgently with one of our foster families and never went to a care home.
Ruth’s health reflected the lack of adequate care. No immunisations had been made and there are no medical health records.
Ruth and Flora were stressed when they arrived at the foster family’s house. They were introduced to the family members gently and carefully. The biological children immediately offered their toys and they started to play. The girls relaxed within the hour and went to explore their new home. Subsequent visits by the social workers revealed a relaxed playful atmosphere, good appetite and all physiological needs were met. The foster family reads them stories and plays children’s music for them every day, which they thoroughly enjoy.
Update 13/01/2014
Ruth learns to speak Bulgarian as it's not her first language. She can cut with scissors, draw and say short poems. Her biological father sought contact and they started meeting in attempt for reintegration. He says he wants to take Ruth and Flora back, but this has only been in words so far.
Update 27/03/2014
Ruth has no deficiencies as she has never been in care home. She has a strong bond with her sister Flora. Her foster family brings them up with good manners at the table, how to speak correctly, how to treat others. She is also relating to her father well.
Update 22/05/2014
Ruth's intellectual development is above average. She is very clever and picks up a lot from the biological children who are older.
Update 01/07/2014
Ruth is healthy and has not had health problems. She likes to dance like an indian, which she learned from an indian movie.
Ruth had a birthday this month. The foster family invited her friends to their home. They bought her a big cake. The best birthday present was the clothes she received from "mom" and "dad." Rumi will be a student in a preschool class and is a little anxious about that.
Ruth is easily distracted, having difficulty keeping her attention on her given task and needs reminding to complete tasks that she has started. She completes a puzzle of 12 pieces. She can color inside outlines. She recognizes colors and some geometric shapes.
Her father refuses to sign a declaration to give up his parental rights but at the same time does not want visitations with Ruth and her sister. Administrative registration by the social worker is pending.
Update 01/08/2014
She has a well developed motor skills. She can draw and draft many shapes and letters: square, triangle, letters from the Cyrillic alphabet, and she can write her name. She can cut using scissors, but not evenly. She works with modeling clay, but not with great skill. She can arrange different object in a group by common characteistics.
The foster parent returned from a trip abroad, which brought great excitement at their home. Ruth and her sister received many presents. Ruth is getting ready for school and is still a little anxious because this is something new to her. She enjoys all presents related to her education, such as notebooks, pencils, backpack, etc.
Social Services will again investigate the possibility for the children's paternal grandmother to take care of them. If it is determined that this would not be possible, the social worker will register the children in the Adoption Registry.
Update 01/09/2014
The child's exam results during the preparation of a medical certificate for her registration in the Adopotion Registry show that she is healthy.
Ruth is adapting well in the preschool group. She has been accepted by the other children and has established friendships. Her teacher praised her for doing well with the material covered. She completes assignments and follows rules.
Ruth's imagination, which she uses in her play, is well developed for her age. She learns poems and songs. She performs them long after learning them. She remembers songs best, remembering both the melody an d the lyrics.
Update 01/10/2014
Ruth attended a workshop for foster children organized by the Bulgarian Red Cross, where the children had an opportunity to scrapbook, draw and paint and to create new friendships. Ruth has friends in her preschool class and states that she plays with the girls in the class, but not with the boys.
Ruth does not color within the outlines. She quickly gives up tasks that she has begun. According to her, everything she makes is "ugly." The child is observant and finds hiden symbols and signs. She recognizes the symbols for the numbers 1, 2, and 3. She knows songs and poems.
Update 01/11/2014
The child is well adapted in the foster family. She does not exhibit signs and symptoms of anxiety, nervousness or worry. She likes to be cuddled and to receive attention. She seeks support from the foster family for everything.
Ruth has compensated for some of the deficits in her learning development. She is able to keep her attention for longer. She completes the tasks assigned to her fully, without attempting to postpone them. She has improved her art skills. She is concerned about her appearance and tries to look good.
She is finally registered for adoption and we're expecting the selection of an adoptive family.
Update 01/12/2014
Ruth received the Christmas present she wanted - a cash register. She likes to play cashier with the younger grand-daughter of her foster parent. According to the foster family, Ruth is more focused on herself and satisfying her own needs, while Flora, her sister, also thinks about her sister and shares every item and snacks with her.
Ruth follows the instructions of her teacher, and adheres to the rules in her preschool group. She participated in their Christmas program, reciting a poem about Christmas. Her attention and concentration spans are increasing. Ruth remembers information and reproduces it after a period of time. Her long-term memory is normal.
Update 01/02/2015
Ruth has developed the skills of running, jumping, kicking and throwing. Her motor development is in normal range for her age. She has also developed skills for resolving conflicts with other children. During play, she is calm and able to compromise. She follows rules and instructions and can lead and be led. In school, she has developed friendships primarily with girls because she states that she has a better time with them. She participates in concerts and programs in school, recites poems and sings songs.
Ruth is diligent and thorough in completing her school assignments. She is curious and likes to get additional information from the teacher. She is advancing well compared to her peers. She learns and reproduces new information. She learns poems and songs with ease and quickness.
Update 01/04/2015
Ruth visited the zoo and the Marine Garden together with the foster family and her sister. The child is very thrilled with the experience and shares what she observed. She often attends birthdays of friends from her preschool group, and is often taken for walks in the nearby park.
Ruth's teacher praises her performance. She states that Ruth completes all her assignments and the foster family is also helping the child with homework assignments. Her memory abilities are good for her age. Her analytical and synthesis abilities are also in normal range. Her fine motor ability is well developed; she colours within outlines.
Update 01/06/2015
Ruth pays great attention to her appearance, how many and what clothes she has; she likes dressing up and imitating the older grand-daughters of her foster mother. When she plays with other children, she often gets upset and prefers to be alone. She attempts to get the attention of the foster family, sometimes in inappropriate ways (staying silent, not responding to questions, isolating, etc.) She talks to the specialist about her biological family and asks questions about potential adopters. She is very resistant to the prospective of leaving her foster home.
Ruth recognizes numbers and their symbols. She knows most letters. She can write her name and can read short words containing the letters she knows. She knows the concepts of day, week, month, year, day and night. She can reproduce a mosaic figure from a sample. She can make inferences.
During the last period, the child and her sister met a prospective adoptive family. They had three meetings. The family later decided to discontinue the meetings with the children. Their concerns were related to the age of the children and assumptions about difficult adaptation within their family.
Reintegration

Flora is Ruth’s sister. Their mother left to work abroad and the children remained with their grandmother, who was unable to take care for them. They were placed urgently with one of our foster families and never went to a care home.
Flora’s health reflected the lack of adequate care. No immunisations had been made and there are no medical health records.
Flora and Ruth were stressed when they arrived at the foster family’s house. They were introduced to the family members gently and carefully. The biological children immediately offered their toys and they started to play. The girls relaxed within the hour and went to explore their new home. Subsequent visits by the social workers revealed a relaxed playful atmosphere, good appetite and all physiological needs were met. The foster family reads them stories and plays children’s music for them every day, which they thoroughly enjoy.
Update 13/01/2014
Flora builds on her vocabulary and attempts to tell short stories. Her biological father sought contact and they started meeting in attempt for reintegration. He says he wants to take Ruth and Flora back, but this has only been in words so far.
Update 27/03/2014
Flora has a strong bond with her foster mother and calls her "mommy". She has learned a few songs and poems from the older children in the household and performs them with great pleasure. Her development is in line with her age. She is starting to establish a relationship with her father.
Update 22/05/2014
Flora's birthday was spectacular. Her foster family had organised a beautiful party with many guests and a huge cake. She wore a lovely dress and her eyes, shining with excitement, celebrated her birthday for the first time.
Update 15/08/2014
Flora is an adorable child and has become a favourite to both her foster family and the people in the neighbourhood. When she is not busy playing, she asks her foster parents to involve her in their household activities like shopping, cooking, etc. Efforts are made to contact Flora's grandmother and assess her willingness and ability to take care of the child.
Flora and her sister are soon to be listed for adoption. Their father is not willing to take care of the girls but at the same time he refuses to terminate his parental rights.
Update 23/01/2015
Flora so quickly adapted to her foster family that she does not seem to remember the time when she lived with her grandmother. She is healthy and really flourishing. She has learned to sing songs and recite poems. Now can also “cook” rice and cake with her new dining set which her foster family gave her as a Christmas present.
The child's growth and development is normal for her age. She likes being the centre of attention and has good self-esteem. Reintegration is no longer an option for the two girls, so they have been registered for adoption.
Update 30/04/2015
Flora feels very excited. She visited the Varna zoo and the Sea garden together with her sister and her foster family. Flora and Ruth have been invited to birthday parties which they really enjoy.
Meetings with potential adoptive families have been started for both girls.
Update 05/06/2015
Flora loves to be around people, she is polite and respectful in her interactions with adults. She is popular among other children and is learning to share her toys with her sister Ruth and the kids they play with.
She is showing interest in meeting with prospective adopters. During the period, Flora and Ruth met with one prospective family three times. Unfortunately, the couple decided not to proceed any further because of concerns that the two girls might not easily adapt to their family. Introductory meetings with other candidates are being organized.
Update 01/07/2015
Flora is now adopted. Bless you, dear child.
Adoption
Ryan is one of five children in a family that lived in extreme poverty and bad hygiene. This lead to the children's frequent sickness and they had scabies all over the bodies. The mother herself suffered from tuberculosis. They all slept in a single cold rood with no beds. The father had immigrated to Germany, promising to come back soon, but never did. Unable to cope, the mother temporarily moved to the home of the Catholic church until her hospitalisation, so the children were taken in a care home. Soon after, the mother died and Ryan was taken in foster care.
Ryan is healthy with no deficiencies from his stay at the care home, as he has only spent the past year there.
Ryan settled really well in his new foster family. He has learning difficulties at school, which his foster mother works hard to overcome. His aggressive burst-outs at school have now diminished. He recently started dance classes.
Update 27/03/2014
Ryan is within target for his age group. He is clever with excellent analytical skills, but is struggling at school for his social skills. Still waiting for a decision on his long-term future.
Update 22/05/2014
Ryan may need to be registered for adoption, given the lack of involvement from his father. His struggles at school have not been resolved yet.
Update 06/07/2014
Ryan is healthy and friendly. He went to a birthday party this month and had lots of fun. He manages simple maths with the help of his fingers. His reading ability improved and is now within the norm for his age.
Update 03/08/2014
Ryan was adopted this month. We loved you, little man, but hope you will never need our services again.
Awaiting for his father to return from abroad and take a decision on Ryan's long term

Melanie is a child in a poor family with 9 other siblings. During a planned visit, the social workers established that Melanie’s mother has left the country. The child was left with no parental care, but was left at the care of her juvenile sisters. She was taken in care home and her mother declared that she would take her back upon her return in Jun 2013, which she hasn't exercised yet.
Melanie was born severely underweight and was incubated. She has cerebral palsy and heart problems. She is also anaemic due to iron deficiency.
Melanie was placed in foster care on 26 Oct in a family with biological connection to her. Her foster family is experienced in caring for a child with cerebral palsy as their grand-daughter was also diagnosed with it. They strictly follow her dietary needs. They have prepared the environment to suit Melanie's specific needs and eagerly seek further help from the physiotherapist to improve her health. She has started showing progress in her social and emotional development. She seeks her foster families attention and is joyful in their presence. Her motor skills have also started to improve.
Update 13/01/2014
Melanie's foster parents helped her to start crawling. She undergoes a rehabilitation to prepare her to stand. She is very well settled in the foster family.
Update 27/03/2014
In just 4 months since Melanie was placed in her foster family, she has started to crawl and walk with support. She is not able to talk, to chew, to hold a glass or cutlery, so she needs constant help. Her foster mother understands the sounds she makes to express her wants.
Update 22/05/2014
Melanie cannot talk yet, but has learned to express her needs with sounds and pointing, which her foster family understands. She consciously demands to be taken out, to be passed an object or to be fed. She walks with support.
Update 06/07/2014
Attended an assessment by the multidisciplinary team at ‘Karin Don’ which established that in relation to her peers all areas of her development were delayed. The recommendations were that she should attend regular therapy sessions, and she has already had the first 10 physiotherapy sessions, available through the national health provision
She reacts to her name. She loves when played with. She has bonded well with her foster mother and looks for her. There is no speech, but she has two syllable babbling such as va-va, ma-ma, am-am. She was visited once by her biological father.
Update 03/08/2014
She can take a few steps when led by an adult, and by herself while holding onto something. Her foster mother says that she now enjoys her baths. She takes interest in new objects.
She is learning to drink from a cup.
Update 07/09/2014
She attends language therapy sessions twice a week and clearly enjoys taking part. She no longer wants to drink from a baby bottle.
Update 05/10/2014
Melanie attends regular language and physiotherapy sessions. She reacts positively to praise such as 'Well done!'. Melanie’s file is being prepared so she can be added to the Adoption Register.
Update 02/11/2014
She plays with a doll by herself, holding her with both hands and moving her from hand to hand. She takes interest in exploring her surroundings and is becoming a little more mobile.
Update 01/12/2014
Melanie likes sensory toys. She takes objects and throws them on the floor. She can move them from one hand to the other - a huge progress for her hand-eye coordination. She likes tearing paper off.
Update 01/02/2015
She was hospitalised for 5 days this month, and due to her poor health, her physiotherapy sessions at Karin Dom were interrupted.
Update 05/04/2015
Melanie's emotions are unstable and when frustrated she tends to explode with anger. Her concentration is poor and she gets distracted easily. She reacts when prompted by her foster mother ‘Come here’ by crawling towards her all by herself.
Update 30/06/2015
She takes joy in her new doll and examines her closely, and refuses to be separated from her even for a moment. She can now chew and eat food that is not pureed, such as ham, cherries and peaches. She is due to be added to the International Adoption Register.
Update 01/08/2015
During this period Melanie underwent a surgery on tenotomy of achilles tendons. Both her legs were in plaster after the surgery. The plaster has now been removed and she can step on her foot. It is a painful process and, presently, Melanie makes only few steps at a time, using support. Rehabilitation is to follow and the "Karin Dom" specialists will monitor her recovery . Melanie is in good emotional condition. She pronounces words like "Come on", "Sister", "Go go" and she associates the appearance of the forster family's daughter with the word "Sister". She is doing a "hi-five" and is trying to clap her hands. The child can again stand after the operation. The foster parent puts her to sit on a chair to avoid the uncomfortable sitting position. The child is to be entered in the international adoption register.
Update 01/10/2015
Melanie is in good health, she has resumed visits to Karin Dom. She now has a walker which was provided by Kids Care. The fixture for her chest was not the right size so had to be changed with a smaller one. This has now taken place and currently Melanie is using it to walk not just within Karin Dom, but also at home. She follows the grandchildren of the foster parent or goes closer to them when they call her. She uses the walker independently and can change direction.
She is also now able to chew chicken meat without it being homogenised. Melanie smiles often and has a positive emotional disposition. She appears happy to see the social worker and initiates contact by clapping her hands. She manages to show that she no longer wants to eat by moving her head away. Papers in progress for adding Melanie to the international register for adoption.
Update 31/03/2016
Melanie is currently in a good health condition although is still recovering from a respiratory infection which left her weak causing her to easily get tired after short walks with the frame. Her foster mother tries to gradually load her with physical activities. She is easy to make contact with but not always follows instructions especially after the first try. She snaps her fingers with joy each time she hears Bulgarian folk music.
Melanie still has a weak grip and fails to hold a pen. She can put pots into each other but cannot build a tower out of them.
She is enrolled in the international adoption register but there isn’t an allocated adoption family yet.
Martin comes from a Roma family with many children. The mother lives with a man, who is the father of four of the children. Both parents systematically fail to care for the children adequately, resulting in the institutionalisation of the children.
Martin has overall good physical health, but psychologically underdeveloped for his age.
Martin was calm and happy during the matching meetings with his foster parents. At first he liked to observe more than interact. In a few meetings, he progressively opened to the foster parents, smiled and relaxed. The grand-daughter of the foster family joined a few of the meetings, seeking to settle Martin and invite him to play together. That eased the matching meetings through play, cycling and ball games. He is now emotionally satisfied and showered with care and attention.
Update 13/01/2014
Martin has adapted very well to his new foster environment. He is communicative, smiley and relaxed. He only says a few words, but tries to copy the adults.
Update 27/03/2014
Martin is developing well for his age, thriving in the care of his foster family. He will soon be registered for adoption.
Update 22/05/2014
Martin is now within the norm for his age. He is very socialble and playful. He makes good progress in his speech development.
Update 06/07/2014
Martin can walk unaided and can go down the stairs. He waves good bye, and makes a kissing gesture. He has a strong emotional bond with his foster family but is cautious with strangers. He likes playing in the sand and swings. He enjoys playing with car toys and colourful objects which, if hidden, he searches and finds.
Update 03/08/2014
Gross motor skills are age appropriate, but he is delayed in his fine motor skills. He points to parts of his body, such as 'nose', 'eyes', 'legs', 'tummy'.
Update 01/09/2014
He uses simple words such as 'come', give', mummy'. He likes to play with cats and dogs and wants to pet them. Martin has been added to the Adoption Register.
Update 01/10/2014
Martin has a strong emotional bond with his foster family. His foster mother takes him to playgrounds daily where he likes to play in the sand and on the swing.
Update 01/12/2014
Martin enjoys playing with a ball. He plays with other children in the playground and shares his toys. He can follow instructions and recognises a number of objects which he hands when requested. He can hold a pen and able to draw circles.
Update 01/02/2015
What a happy family are Martin's adoptive parents! His adoption was successfully completed this month. Wish him best of luck!
Scarlett was placed in care home as soon as she was born. She was the fourth child and her mother never wanted to see her, nor any other member of her biological family. Her siblings are also in foster care or adopted.
Scarlett is physically well, but her emotional and social development is underdeveloped.
Scarlett is very insecure and did not cope well with the adaptation to her new family and environment well. She doesn't allow new people near her, cries loud and is unsettled during the matching meetings.
Update 13/01/2014
Scarlett was unable to calm and settle with the new family and was taken back to the institution. Further attempts to take her out of the care home will be made as soon as we find another suitable family and hope she will settle with them better.
Update 01/08/2015
Scarlett was adopted directly from the care home and now enjoys her new family, love and care.
Zoe's mom left the hospital immediately after birth, leaving no contact details or intentions to care for the little girl. She has not been visited by any other members of the biological family.
Zoe's motor functions are underdeveloped. She's unable to walk or talk.
Zoe feels well in her foster family. They play with her and take her outs for walks, which she enjoys tremendously.
Update 27/03/2014
Zoe has mental retardation and the medical specialists are trying to establish if this can be overcome. She does not speak or chew and is completely dependent on her foster family to serve her. She will be registered for adoption in June.
Update 22/05/2014
Zoe is now stable as she stands up. She can also express her needs, though not verbally yet. She invites for a game and is able to throw aball with coordinated moves. She now manages to drink water from a beaker and to chew some foods.
Update 01/07/2014
Zoe no longer needs to have her meals pureed. The foster family is attempting potty training. She communicates primarily with gestures. She can wave good bye and blow kisses. She has been added to the Adoption Register.
Update 01/08/2014
Zoe is exhibiting some aggressive tendencies, such as hitting herself when frustrated. She has been assessed by a speech therapist.
Update 01/09/2014
Zoe can follow simple instructions such as 'Give', 'Come', 'Put in the box'. She can take off dolly's clothes but cannot put them on. She brings her own shoes when she is told she is going for a walk. She is not yet able to use a spoon to feed herself.
Update 01/10/2014
According to experts from 'Karin Dom', Zoe is exhibiting autistic tendencies, such as limited eye contact, fear from certain noises e.g. washing machine and vacuum cleaner, is also anxious with new toys and needs time to get used to and play with them.
Update 01/11/2014
Zoe is aggressive if a favourite toy is taken away from her. She can follow simple instructions such as "Come here! Give me the ball." She takes part in team games and is curious to a new environment. She constantly needs to keep something in her hands for comfort. Her fine motor skills are underdeveloped.
Update 01/12/2014
She loves dancing, and claps her hands when listening to songs. She can react aggressively toward her Foster parents, if she does not get what she wants, but is otherwise seeks their help and is very positive. She doesn’t recognise the colours yet and is not able to thread rings to a string.
Update 01/02/2015
Zoe has been receiving speech therapy from Karin Dom and her Foster parents received specialised training to enable them to support her special needs with developmental games.
She was poorly with a virus this month and received plenty caring attention from the Foster parents. There is observable positive difference in her emotional status. She is very attached to her foster family and is clearly overjoyed to see them. She seeks support and affection from them. She was diagnosed with moderate mental deficiencies.
Update 01/04/2015
She has sensory difficulties and shows aversion to touching certain things such as foam, dough and cream. She likes looking at books. She does not recognise colours, animals or fruit and vegetables or shapes. When frustrated, she hits herself with her fists and pulls her hair – occurrences which are slowly reducing in frequency since we took her out of the orphanage. Her concentration span is very limited and she gets easily distracted. She is able to build a ring or block tower with help.
Update 30/06/2015
Zoe was very ill with a virus this month. She was given a medicine which improves the neural processes of the brain. She can now bite and chew harder food. The foster family continues to work with her on getting her to feed and dress herself independently, and to be able to indicate her toileting needs. She particularly enjoys singing and can remain concentrated for 4-5 songs at a time. She hops like a rabbit and claps her hands enthusiastically. She’s now able to build a puzzle of 5 pieces, shows increasing interest in books and manages to drop small objects into a narrow crevice. She has overcome her fear of creams and allows to be moisturised and protected from the sun. All necessary documentation has been submitted for entering Zoe in the Register for Foreign Adoption.
Update 01/08/2015
At present the child is clinically healthy. Zoe cannot feed herself yet and does not alert others of her physiological needs. She is emotionally well and smiles a lot. She understands instructions such as: "Give!", "Take!", "Come!", "Sit!". Zoe is not aggressive towards the rest of the kids on the playground. She tries to initiate contact but is not very confident. She needs encouragement from an adult. She spontaneously takes part in chase games. She throws and kicks a ball, interacting with children she does not know. Sometimes she takes an interest and wants the toys children bring with them. The child is interested in books. She watches some children TV programmes. Throws a ball. Tries to catch bubbles but cannot yet blow bubbles herself. She can stand on one leg but cannot jump on one leg. An agency for finding an adoptive family outside Bulgaria has been contracted. The agency took additional photos and a video of Zoe so that they can present the child to perspective adoptive families.
Update 01/10/2015
Currently the child is in good health. In this period the girl has been seen by a laryngologist who made a diagnosis of adenoid vegetation. According to him there are no structural causes which would prevent articulation. The foster mother has said that sometimes the child is able to use the potty. The child is not yet able to have verbal exchanges, and there is no sound articulation. She is being followed by a language therapist. Sometimes she follows instructions and copies actions she finds stimulating. She shows interest in music – she stays focused for longer and follows some movements in rhythm with the music. Zoe is able to place shapes in their place, although she easily loses patience when she does not succeed the first time. She manages to place animal shapes in their place on a board. She manages to complete a 6 piece puzzle with a little help. She is able to draw circles, a nest, but does not manage a straight line. She is not able to put the top on the marker. The appointed agency looking for an adoptive family for the child outside Bulgaria, was unfortunately unable to find a suitable family. The child will be registered with another agency when one is appointed.
Update 31/03/2016
Zoe had diarrhoea; cough and a runny nose treated with antibiotics by her GP and is currently in a good health. She had her paperwork ready to apply for a place in a day centre for mentally disabled children where she can take part in various rehabilitation programmes according to her needs. Zoe responds positively to offers for going out and happily interrupts any other activities assisting with her being dressed. She still fears swings and slides whilst at the playground. She shows interest in other children but cannot communicate with them. An adoption family has been appointed but a meeting is yet to take place.