Ending institutionalisation: An Assessment of outcomes for children and young people in Bulgaria who have moved from institutions to the community 

This report shares outcomes of a group of 1,292 children and young people with disabilities who have transitioned out of large residential institutions (institutions) into small group homes (SGHs) in the community. This assessment was undertaken by Lumos in cooperation with State authorities from October to December 2015. The report includes recommendations and key findings

The information gathered was compared with available data from an assessment of the same group carried out at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, when the children and young people were still living in the institutions. Research was also carried out by a group of five young spokespeople from Lumos’ children and youth participation group in Bulgaria, who developed their own questionnaire and set up a focus group to find out - from a peer-to-peer perspective – about life in the new SGHs.

Key individuals that will benefit from reading the report: Bulgarian Government in assessing the progress of reform and planning future initiatives; European Commission in assessing their investment in the system for caring for vulnerable children in Bulgaria and other stakeholders involved in the reform process in Bulgaria.