CHILD WELFARE REFORM PROJECT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY.

CHILD WELFARE REFORM PROJECT

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Situation Analysis

34122 children live in 360 specialized state institutions, only 1000 of them have no parents

Low level of family culture and parental competence Lack of public response to violence against children

within the family and public places Inadequate perceptions and assessments of social

services due to the lack of other social practices Lack of responsible social attitude to children’s

problems

Reform in the Child Protection System

Adoption of the Law on Child Protection - May 2000 Setting up the State Agency for Child Protection Establishing of 70 Child Protection Departments

within the Directorate for Social Assistance Implementation of the Child Welfare Reform project

with 20 pilot municipalities Amendments to the Law on Child protection – April

2003

The reform promotes a wholly new philosophy whose essence contradicts the existing social practices and even enters into conflict with the current attitudes and behavior regarding child care

An awareness campaign to the general audience and the specific target groups is absolutely needed for the success of the reform.

Activities of the technical project

Capacity building of the State Agency for Child Protection on national and local level

De-instutionalization, alternative social services at local level

Prevention of abandonment and protection of children’s rights

Street children services

Aims of the Communication campaign

To inform and raise the awareness on the new child protection system regionally and nation wide

To encourage and foster attitude changes of the general public and the professionals with regard to the advantages of the new policy, new practices and the expected results

Target groups

The population of the 20 pilot municipalities All parents and parents in risk All children and children in risk Professional groups and local institutions,

working with children and families at risk The local business Media – national and regional NGO’s working on children issues

Main message of the campaign

The reform in the system of child care aims at increasing the awareness and sensitivity of each one of us to the problems of children and to motivate the stakeholders to unite their efforts so that each child has a home, family and protection

Main slogan of the campaign in the first stage of the project

To each child with love and care

Main slogan in the second stage of the campaign

For each child – family and love

Slogan addressing the parents

I love – that is why I care

Slogan addressing all children

Give a helping hand to a friend in trouble

Slogan addressing children at risk

I am different … I also need a family, care and love

Slogan addressing professional groups

I help

Slogan addressing the business community

Bulgarian business helps Bulgarian children

Slogan addressing the media

My vote: “For the child”

Slogan addressing the NGO’s

Active in name of children

Strategy – Basic principals

Positive case studies -Learning from success Presentation of true stories Involvement of ordinary people in the

campaign Integration the efforts of all parties

concerned No ethnic focus of the campaign

Strategy - stages of the project

The communication program will be flexible and will follow the objective development of the reforms

First stage –focus the public attention and raising the sensibility of the general public on children problems

Second stage – promoting the new structures for social services

Tactics

Development and implementation of three campaigns focused on the main target groups:

National campaign Specialized campaign Regional campaign

National Campaign

ObjectivesTo substantiate the necessity for reforms, explaining its meaning and advantages. To provoke the sensitivity of the society

Target groupsthe general publicthe public in the pilot municipalities

ImplementationProduction and distribution of PR materials- Posters, videos, audios

National mediaEducational films for the BNTParticipation in TV programsRadio campaign – audio spotsRadio program with the BNRTwo supplements in 24 ChasaSpecially prepared articlesPresentations of true stories

InternetInternet discussionDistribution of all PR materials

EventsSeminar for journalist

Media relations

Specialized campaign

Objectives

To inform the professionals about the reform – its legal framework, course and advantages. To make them aware of their role and new skills acquired for better professional realization. To motivate them to cooperate.

Target groups

Social workers in the municipalitiesTeachersInspectors - psychologistsPolicemen, Judges, TeachersMedical staffSchool psychologists

ImplementationEvents

Discussions – meetings in five large and five small municipalities

Two seminars with the regional journalists

Production and distribution of PR materials5 different leaflets

Media relations Publications in specialized pressInterviews with expertsParticipation in specialized programs

Regional Campaign

ObjectivesTo promote on regional level the new social units and the services provided

Target groupsThe general public in the pilot municipalities

Families at risk

Children at risk

Social care experts

NGO’s

The local business and media

Implementation

Events

Using existing local events

Opening of the new social units

10 meetings –discussions

Regional TV Channels

Airing 18 reportages – positive case studies

Six educational films on the reform

Interviews with experts from the project

Production and distribution of print materials

Brochures, leaflets, posters

Media Relations

Actions in a crisis situation

Defining a “Worst case scenario”Lack of transparency in the project implementationDiscrediting any of the new social unitsDiscrediting the ”foster family model”Corruption incidents

Preparation of an action planGuide lines on information distributionOn line information on crisisStock of materials with a catalogContact person listMedia contact listInternet site managementHot line

Crisis centre appropriate technical equipmentand human resources

Crisis managementProject leader with crisis team

Event-analysis-action-message Basic principals

Maximum openness min. delayPlanning in line with the actionsClear messages for every oneActions showing care, control, transparencyThe “right” juridical strategy is often a wrong PR strategyFacts and frequency of information = authenticity

Campaigns follow up, assessments and updating

Expected results

To increase the awareness of the reform and the sensitivity of the society to children issues

To motivate more people, associations and organizations to work for this National cause

Assessment of the campaign

Sociological surveys to measure degree of awareness, perceptions, attitude change

Media activity on issues related to the children welfare

Appearance of other initiatives supporting children

Number of NGO’s working on the same topic

Tuning and updating the campaigns