Surrogate Granny Programme
A child’s need for care and stimulation is best met in a close, loving relationship. In the absence of a mother or family, a surrogate Granny, or Baba as they are called in Bulgaria, is carefully selected and hired to serve as a primary carer and advocate for two chosen children. The Baba provides care and education to the children individually, for four hours each day, five days a week until the children are moved to new homes or are adopted. They feed, play, sing songs, hold and encourage their children and the little ones respond with tremendous developmental advances, better growth, and most importantly, by learning how to love and be loved.
The Baba Programme has been running for several years in Bulgaria and has been replicated in other parts of the world with large numbers of institutionalised children. The benefits to the children are evident; Children who once lay in beds all day with dull expressions now jump with joy when they see their Baba arrive in the morning. They reach for toys to explore, and they babble and laugh. The children’s progress is documented in diaries and photographs that will become part of the children’s memory books. The memory books go with the children as they grow up and serve as a precious source of autobiographical information, identity, and fond memories.
The Baba Program helps both child and granny. Children are nurtured in a close relationship and in turn, the grannies have the opportunity to supplement their retirement pension while making a meaningful contribution to the lives of the children.
Nothing can replace the role of a loving mother or parent but our Baba’s nurture and enrich their childrens lives through consistent one to one attention and stimulation. In so doing they can dramatically improve the quality of life and the development of the children living in state run institutions.
The annual cost of providing a Baba to an instituionalised child is £980 but you can support our Baba Programme from as little as £5 today.
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The psychologists meet twice monthly with the children and the Babushkas to set and reassess their goals.
Baba's are trained and guided by our psychologist and they meet monthly to set and reassess their goals.