State Agency for Child Protection and Child Protection Departments

The State Agency for Child Protection (SACP) and Child Protection Departments are state institutions for the protection of children's rights and for the control of childcare. SACP is a body on direct subordination to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, and Child Protection Departments are structures of municipal directorates "Social Assistance". Although they are not subordinate to SACP, both have complementary functions in protecting children's rights.

How can they help you

If you are a child or are acting on behalf of a child, you can file a complaint or a signal to the Child Protection Department at your local Social Assistance Directorate. If you have information that a child needs protection, you are required to file such a signal with the Directorate, the Agency or the Ministry of Interior. Otherwise, you may be fined for not informing. You can submit your complaint or signal via the electronic form available on the SACP website. The Social Assistance Directorate will investigate your complaint or signal and may issue mandatory prescriptions to remedy the violations. The Directorate is obliged to alert the police, the prosecution or the court as the case may be. The Director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior or the Chairperson of SACP may impose an administrative sanction on the offender. 

Activities

SACP and the child protection departments of the local Social Assistance Directorates have a variety of functions. Among them are: 

  • Investigation on complaints and signals for violation of children's rights
  • Issuing mandatory prescriptions to remedy violations
  • Assistance and cooperation with non-profit legal entities working for the protection of the child
  • Alerting the competent authorities to take action to protect children;
  • Imposing administrative sanctions on offenders
  • Checking on the respect of the rights of the child by all state, municipal and private institutions that care for children
  • Performing monitoring and control of specialized childcare institutions on the respect of children's rights

More information & Contacts

https://sacp.government.bg/ 
Tel.: +3592/ 2 933 90 10
sacp@sacp.government.bg
 
State Agency for Child Protection
Triaditsa str. No. 2
Sofia 1051
Bulgaria

Last updated 01/04/2019