A challenging experience during hospital stay can make a young child feel as if they are in emotional free fall, hurtling towards the unknown with no control or direction. We can’t stop them falling. We can offer them a softer landing: a Brave Balloon Book. A good picture book introduces a difficult issue to children from a ‘safe distance’.The story sends a powerful message to the child: you are not alone, you have our support and we will help you to get through this with bravery and confidence.

Sofia and Pernik, Central Bulgaria

To draw the attention of the whole society to the lack of quality of children's health care (in Bulgaria there is still no national children's hospital, there are no standards for children's health).To create a positive and constructive environment for dialogue between doctors, children-patients and parents, in which the three parties can achieve mutual understanding, trusting relationship and in the same time the best interests of the child will always be put firstTo pave the way for creating a healing environment for child patients in which they remain socially integrated.To turn the right of access to information and an informed decision about treatment into an inalienable right of the child and his parents.

Children patients
Parents
NGO of parents of children with diseases
Healthcare specialists, leading pediatricians
Minorities
Socially vulnerable populations

We will organize a Kids Art and/or Writing Contest with the topic "When I'm sick, I want ……“
The best drawings and texts from the competition will be published in a color book "BRAVE BALLOONS", which will be distributed in hospitals, the pediatric community and the institutions responsible for establishing children's health care policies.
We will perform a statistical analysis with a representative sample to find out how parents evaluate their children's experience at the hospital. We will conduct a quantitative research with focus groups to find out how pediatricians, parents and child-patients imagine the treatment process and what the deficits are.
We will organize a forum with representatives from all interested parties to develop sustainable policies in the best interest of the children while respecting their rights as a patient.
At the end of the project, with the help of pediatric psychologists and other specialists, we will develop a training program for pediatricians on how to improve the communication with child patients.
Each of the steps in the plan will be communicated through national and regional media and social networks.

We expect:
Тo improve the public attitude towards sick children - to increase the understanding of their mental and emotional needs, psychological states, the need for a healing environment and social connection.
Тo improve the communication between pediatricians, parents and child patients
Тo understand, value and respect the child patient perspectives – needs, feelings, opinions
Тo respect the rights of the child patient and his parents;
Тo restrict the practice of depriving child patients (under the age of 16) of the right to be with their parents during the hospital stay.
Тo develop sustainable policies that meet European standards for children's health

Creates an environment which brings people together and allows them to share their own experience. This will help identify the good practices and eliminate the bad ones
Provides information and draw the attention of the public to the current status of children's healthcare. We will address the deficiencies in the hospital infrastructure and communication. The project will unite the society around a common problem which affects the families of both sick and healthy children
Provides information to parents and their sick children about their rights during healthcare treatment.
Supports pediatricians and pediatric specialists in applying best practices in children's healthcare

Za Dobroto Foundation was established as a public-benefit non-profit organisation in
December 2020 but its activities began in 2019 as an informal civil initiative #ZaDobroto project which united over 10,000 volunteers and donors.
Our mission is to impose a high standard for children's health and education.
We mobilize people, organizations and communities to modernize the treatment environment for children, to protect the rights of child patients and to restore trust between children and their parents and pediatricians.
We encourage civil society to transform the lives of children and child patients with empathy, cooperation, exactingness and diligence in the search for the best solutions.
We act urgently because every day is important and every child's life is priceless

Research - 7000 EUR
Books production - 25 000 EUR
Events& Trainings 4000 EUR
POSM - 3800 EUR
Administrative - 1800 EUR

To get more support and advice for making the idea sustainable in time , so we can empower the needed change in child healthcare service in Bulgaria.