Bulgaria

The Republic of Bulgaria is a small country located in South Central Europe. Bulgaria shares a border with Turkey and Greece to the south, Macedonia and Serbia to the west, Romania to the north, and the Black Sea to the east. The capital, Sofia, lies in the western region. Bulgaria is home to more than 7.5 million people.

Bulgaria has a rich and varied history. It was part of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. With the entry of Soviet troops into Bulgaria in September 1944, communism emerged as the dominant political force within the country. However, in 1989, democratic change began. The first multi-party elections since World War II were held in 1990. Today, Bulgaria is a Parliamentary democracy.

Bethany Christian Services became involved with intercountry adoptions from Bulgaria in 1994. Until 2005, Bethany facilitated 62 adoptions. For several years, intercountry adoptions were suspended, but in early 2009, Bethany established a cooperative agreement for services with a new Bulgarian partner.

Bethany’s Bulgarian partner is a non-governmental organization accredited under the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Like Bethany, our Bulgarian partner is dedicated to the mission of helping abandoned and orphaned children find families and have a better and brighter future.

Bethany is also exploring opportunities for involvement in a continuum of social services within Bulgaria.