An exhibition of photographs that show childhood in foster families was opened today at the National Theatre in Sofia. The organizers are the National Foster Care Association (NFCA) and Mtel, and the photographs were taken by Radic Banev. The exhibition titled  "Childhood in Foster Care", recreates the emotional moments of everyday life for foster families - both for the parents and children.

"The exhibition is not only in honour of the little ones. With it, we celebrate the love and care, which the foster parents give their children every day. Foster parents are accepting parents - they take care of children in need, no matter whether they have emotional and health problems, and regardless of their ethnicity." said the director of corporate communications at Mtel, Iliana Zaharieva. "We are grateful to the National Foster Care Association for enabling us to help foster families in Bulgaria for the fourth year in a row," she added.

 "We foster parents sometimes face serious challenges - from the lack of understanding of our work by society, to the real problems in caring for the abandoned children we have taken in. I am happy that we can show the happy side of children at risk with this exhibition - most of them came to their foster parents without being able to speak, eat normally or love. " said Maria Blagoeva, member of the Managing Board of the National Foster Care Association.

"Foster care should be professionalised and standardized and the State Agency for Child Protection is working in this direction, the chairman of the State Child Protection Agency (SCPA), Eva Zhecheva, stated at the opening of the exhibition "Childhood in Foster Care". Foster care has to change a child's life, to give wings, to develop their potential. I thank all the foster parents for their efforts in giving children confidence, as well as the organizations that support the development of foster care, said the chairman of the SCPA.

Before the visitors viewed the 20 photographs from the, they heard stories told by foster parents, who participated in the essay contest "I lead, you lead," organized by NFCA and Mtel. The journalist and radio host, Dragomir Simeonov read the emotional texts.

Since the beginning of its partnership with NFCA, Mtel has been supporting the cause with a number of initiatives. The telecom has invested over 240 000 BGN in various forms of funding. The company supports the organization of an annual national camp for children from foster care, provides career counselling for older youth as well as school supplies for all students.

In each of Mtel's stores across the country, boxes in which the telecom customers can donate 1 BGN for foster children and families have been placed. From today, every donor will receive a postcard from the photography exhibition.

According to the Agency for Social Assistance, 2380 foster families across the country care for 2380 children. 80 of the foster families in the country are voluntary, and 2300 receive remuneration for their contribution. According to governmental data 127 children are being raised by voluntary foster parents, while 2253 are in the care of professional ones. From the beginning of 2015 to June of the same year 160 new foster families have been approved and registered. In the same period 619 new children have been placed in foster care.