ABSTRACT
This paper focuses on the issue of parental participation in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) system in Bulgaria. In the first section, a brief overview of the European policy framework on ECEC is outlined, inviting Member States to improve ECEC services. In the second section, the main findings from the empirical research on the role of parents and crèches professionals in Bulgaria are presented. The research is based on a mixed-methods design and includes semi-structured interviews with international and national experts, focus group discussions and documentary analysis. The quantitative part of the survey refers to two types of questionnaires administered: the first one to professionals (47) from independent nurseries and nursery groups in kindergartens in the two municipalities of Sofia-City and Tundzha-Municipality and the second one – to parents (149). The interviewed national experts confirmed negative circumstances like professional burnout as a result of continued employment even after retirement age for a large percentage of the staff. In spite of the fact that many surveyed parents (43.2%) indicate that they always get involved in their children’s lives in the setting, a great proportion of them do not actively participate in decisions about the child in the nursery context. In the conclusion section, several recommendations are formulated for the improvement of parents’ participation.
