You are not alone with your questions.
The diagnosis comes suddenly and brings thousands of questions. We have walked this road — here are the answers we were once looking for ourselves. And if you don’t find yours, call us.
What lies ahead — and how we help
How can the Golden Ribbon centre help our family?
Golden Ribbon is the first and only centre in Bulgaria for information, counselling, support and work with children with oncohaematological diseases. It is located at UMHAT “Tsaritsa Yoanna – ISUL”, next to the children’s clinic.
It is the only place where children can meet peers who share their fate, create, play and share. Here parents find understanding too, and so do the healthy brothers and sisters, who go through the ordeal in their own way.
When is the centre open?
Every weekday from 9:00 to 17:00 — for children in active treatment, on maintenance therapy and for those who have beaten the illness. The premises are provided free of charge by Sofia Municipality.
What does it offer — and what does it cost?
Everything is free. For the little ones there is a children’s room for play and rest; for teenagers, a library and a games room with computers, a PlayStation and board games; and in the art therapy studio children make souvenirs, jewellery and paintings.
Parents receive psychological support, take part in art activities and share experience with other families. Every Tuesday and Wednesday the team is also in the clinic — for those who cannot leave their child.
Who are the people behind the association?
The association is built entirely on the experience of parents who have fought for their children. That is why they can be the strong shoulder that every parent in this situation needs.
One of the most precious things at such a moment is a conversation with someone who has walked the same road, and the words: “My child was here too, and now they are healthy — studying, dancing, dreaming… A long road lies ahead of you, but it will all pass.”
Do the children recover?
Yes — a great many of them. Between 65% and 85% of childhood oncohaematological diseases are now treated successfully. In the mid-1970s, five-year remission was below 50%.
Treatment is hard — from 6 months to 3 years, sometimes a lifetime. The effects of the illness and its treatment can appear years later, which is why support does not end when treatment does.
What does the family go through?
Because of their immune deficiency, children have to avoid contact with others — they cannot go to school or see their friends. Often one parent gives up work, and the family lives apart for months, because children from all over the country are treated in three clinics — in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna.
That is why we stand by everyone — the child, the parents and the child’s brothers and sisters.
What do children really need?
No child needs pity. Children need friends, parents, classmates, brothers and sisters who draw them out of the “comfort” of the hospital room and make them feel like any other child.
They don’t want to be treated as if they were “made of glass”. They want a normal life, faith in their strength, optimism — and parents who will walk the long road shoulder to shoulder with them.
Tax relief for children and for children with disabilities, 2026
From 1 January 2026 the amounts are in euro. They are deducted from the annual tax bases, and “back” is the actual reduction in your tax.
- One minor child€3,067.75up to €306.78 back
- Two children€6,135.50up to €613.55 back
- Three or more children€9,203.25up to €920.33 back
- A child with a type and degree of disability of 50% or more€6,135.50up to €613.55 back
- Two children with disabilities€12,271up to €1,227.10 back
The relief for a child and the relief for a child with a disability can be claimed at the same time — up to the amount of the tax bases.
Can the relief be claimed every month?
Yes. In 2026 it can be claimed in advance through your employer: the monthly tax base is reduced by €255.65 (one child), €511.29 (two children or a child with a disability) or €766.94 (three or more children).
You submit to your employer a declaration under Art. 22c(8) (form 2005) and/or under Art. 22d(7) (form 2006), with a copy of a valid decision of the Territorial or National Expert Medical Commission (TELK/NELK) — from 30 November to 31 December 2026. If more tax has been paid, the employer refunds the difference by 31 January 2027.
Which parent claims the relief?
As a rule, one of them — with a declaration from the other that they will not claim it for the year. If one parent’s tax bases are not enough for the full amount, the other parent can claim the remainder with the annual tax return under Art. 50 of the Personal Income Taxation Act (ZDDFL).
Are there any conditions?
Yes — you must have no unpaid public liabilities subject to enforced collection. The refunded amount is not subject to enforced collection. A parent who has been on maternity leave for the whole year has no taxable income — in that case the other parent claims the relief.
The amounts follow the figures of the National Revenue Agency (NRA) for tax year 2026 — nra.bg, Tax relief for children („Данъчни облекчения за деца“). For your specific case, consult an accountant or the NRA.
Didn’t find an answer?
Call us — you will talk to a parent who has walked the same road.