Deputy labour and social policy minister Lilia Stoyanovich said nearly 15,000 children and families have received help through community services. She spoke at the opening of the National Conference on the Mental Health of Children and Young People.

As of August this year, municipalities have 199 support centres, which care for nearly 11,000 children a year. Another 4,000 children and families use rehabilitation and integration centres.

The ministry has been expanding community services for years because people know them and they are close to home, Stoyanovich said. In her view, the state is trying to bring help close to where people live, but something is probably still missing. She said funding is not a problem, because the money comes from the state budget and EU funds.

She added that the ministry also asks young people for their views, and that every bit of support given matters a great deal.

UNICEF organised the conference. The forum aims to start a dialogue and build cooperation between the systems that support children and families, and to agree concrete steps to strengthen policies and services in this area.

Health minister Katya Ivkova sent a greeting to the forum. In it, she calls mental health one of the most important topics of the conference and an inseparable part of a child's overall development. She says institutions must create an environment where young people feel safe and supported. Ivkova also believes that for every child to grow up calm, secure and protected, early prevention and joint efforts by institutions are needed.