The state has set aside more than €610m in total for social services in the 2026 budget, labour and social policy minister Natalia Efremova said. A new scheme, "For Every Child", is also due to offer children integrated social and health services.

Efremova spoke at Sofia University "St Kliment Ohridski", where she opened the international conference "Spectra of Autism: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Scientific Approaches".

On top of the €610m, more than €146m is planned to support children and their families under the "Human Resources Development" and "Education" programmes. The European Social Fund Plus co-funds both programmes.

More than 430 social services now run on state money. They give over 19,000 children with disabilities, and their families, free specialist support.

The "Future for Children" scheme has so far helped more than 27,000 children and their families. It covers early childhood development, early intervention for disabilities, integrated social services and care when working with children and families. "For the first time under this scheme, so-called home visiting care is also provided for children up to the age of three," the minister said.

The new "For Every Child" scheme builds on the current one and adds more support for children's development. Efremova said it will work on children's social, emotional and life skills, on keeping them in education and on giving them a chance to start work. "It is especially important that the support will look not only at the needs of the child and the family now, but also at the child's future," she said.

The minister admitted that, despite what has been achieved, social support for children, including those on the autism spectrum, and for their families still faces serious difficulties. Besides more integrated services, she named these goals: timely access to diagnosis and health care, reasonable adjustments and a suitable environment for people with autism, and a change in public attitudes.

Efremova said behind every diagnosis is a child with their own abilities, interests, dreams and view of the world. The aim, she said, is for every child to reach their potential, for every family to get help on time and for no one to be left isolated because of their differences.

Earlier the same day, she told journalists that all social insurance payments in next year's budget are guaranteed. Next year's state social security budget is higher, at €16.5bn.