The Pleven Project was created out of a need to provide authentic effective support to the orphanage in Pleven to ensure that the needs of all the children being served in that facility are being met. As we ask for donations, hire staff, and fund projects that will improve the function of the facility and the lives of the children who live there, it is important to us that we ensure that the projects that our money is funding are being implemented in a way that benefits the children being served.  While we rely heavily on data from the orphanage and personal visits from our partners in Bulgaria, we realize the importance of having outside professionals evaluate the effectiveness of programs to provide unbiased evaluations and suggestions for improvements. This will allow us to ensure that every dollar donated is being spent in the most beneficial manner. It will also ensure that EVERY program within the orphanage (including those funded by the government) is functioning in a manner that provides maximum benefit to the children of Pleven.

The Pleven Project seeks to hire 2 highly qualified master’s level psychologists to visit the orphanage in Pleven once a month for 3 days to evaluate every child residing in the facility.

During the monthly visits, the psychologists will evaluate the children and observe the orphanage staff working with the children. They will review the child’s records and the journals that are being kept by The Pleven Project lelyas. They will make recommendations in regards to the services the children are receiving by orphanage staff (psychologists, PT, education, etc) and make adjustments to the child’s program as needed. They will also provide suggestions for things the lelyas can do with the children to help improve each specific child’s development to ensure that the lelyas are being utilized in a way that will benefit the children they are serving in the most effective manner.  They will also be available by phone or email at all times to consult if issues should arise with a specific child.

Both professionals being hired have experience performing this service for multiple other orphanage, group homes, foster homes and day centers throughout Bulgaria in locations such as Plovdiv, Slivin, Burgas, Yambol and Stara Zagora. Their resumes include training in programs related to providing education, support and services to children and their caregivers and participation in numerous conferences throughout Europe related to children’s issues and the deinstitutionalization of children.  The psychologists recommended monthly supervision for one year.  The cost for these services will be $1,000 per month. This cost includes the hourly fee for each psychologist for 3 working  days, their transportation to/from Pleven and food/lodging expenses while in Pleven.  

*The fundraising goal for this project has been set higher than $12,000 to flect the fact that fees are taken from each online donation. For other ways to give that do not include large fees, please visit our website at www.plevenproject.org

All donations made via this page are tax deductible in the US.