This is a story about the places in which kids without parents are being raised. People call them “homes” but their official name is institutions. Throughout the years, I have been visiting many of those places, and I can say that they can in no way be called “home”. That’s where we put/close the kids who do not have parents and isolate them from the world.

No one needs them?

Two and a half years ago, we became foster parents to two brothers, and our life changed in a wonderful and intense way.

I’m going to tell a story about the day, in which the foster home’s doors opened towards a world that the kids had never seen before. They only knew life in the foster home- a circle of repeating events…the bars on the windows and the fence, educators with white aprons, day by day without personal clothing and personal things.

Nobody eats there when they are hungry, they do not sleep when they are supposed to, and they do not play around, whenever they want.

The kids do not have a friendly relationship amongst themselves. Going outside requires a group with specific transportation. Every little prisoner has one dream: to one day see the door of the foster home opening and for the two desired saviors to walk in- mom and dad, with a brand new set of clothes - the first personal thing, which the kid is going to receive at that moment.

You know the saying “there are no coincidences”- On December 20 th, the birthday of my biological child, the social services arranged a date for the “releasing” of the children from the home. In the winter storm with a bag full of new clothes: underwear, socks and shoes, we rang the door bell of the foster home. While I was crossing the yard with the bag of clothes in my hand, I realized why the kids were always asking us, if we bought them clothes. This gave them hope that the day to leave the foster home was approaching. We dressed them up in the reception room while the director and employees were watching us. We went outside in the yard, where the snowflakes were falling quickly. I remember that Gaby raised her head and said: “We are going to get dirty”.

Then I found out the horrible truth about these kids, they’ve never felt the snow before.

Milena Dimitrova, foster parent