Bulgaria's labour and social policy minister Natalia Efremova has announced big news. Of the 137 specialised institutions for children in Bulgaria, 135 have now shut down. The last two homes for medical and social care are also set to close. She spoke at a round table on "children caught up in conflict" during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, organised by Hope and Homes for Children, the social ministry's press office said.

Efremova said that by the end of July 2026, 92 children with disabilities still live in the last two homes. Back in 2010, more than 7,500 children in Bulgaria lived in institutions.

The minister spoke about the big reform in child care. Bulgaria has followed this reform for the last 20 years. It rests on the idea that a family is the best place for any child to grow up in.

The round table fell on the anniversary of the launch of the Global Child Care Reform Charter, which former UK deputy prime minister David Lammy presented in Sofia. Bulgaria was invited to join the initiative because it has succeeded in closing down children's institutions and can share what it has learned.

"I'm here to prove that this mission is fully possible and achievable for any other country, as long as there's the political will to carry out such a huge process," Efremova said.

She said the most important result of the reform is that more children now grow up in a family setting. By the end of July 2026, more than 3,600 children were living with relatives or people close to them. Over 1,300 children live with foster families, usually for about one to two years. During that time, social services work with the children's relatives to help bring them back into the family.

Efremova said Bulgaria has also got better at preventing children from being abandoned, at returning them to family life, and at adoption and foster care. Much of the ministry's work now goes into the quality of support, early childhood development services, timely help for children with disabilities, and preventing abandonment. Under the European Child Guarantee, more than 27,000 children have been helped so far, including 79 from Ukraine.

Those at the discussion also talked about how to help children hurt by war. Efremova said all children from Ukraine who have come to Bulgaria can use free social services. Special rehabilitation camps have also been set up for them, where around 100 Ukrainian children got help coping with the trauma of losing their parents.

"Ukrainian children live in a safe, supportive environment with access to services in Bulgaria," the minister said.

BTA notes that minister Efremova recently announced a new reporting system. The Child Protection Agency is building it to pick up cases of violence between children and against them.