On 1 September 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved changes to the procedure for granting the status of a child affected by military operations and armed conflicts. From now on, this status can be obtained not only at the place of internal displacement, but also at the place of application or at the place where the child was found by local authorities.
Denys Ulyutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, stressed that the state has a duty to support every child affected by war. ‘Currently, more than 412,000 children have the status of war victims, but this is not the final figure. More than a million children have been forced to flee the war, and thousands have suffered loss and trauma. Our task is to ensure that no child is left alone with their pain, but has the support and protection of the state,’ he said.
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The changes also expand the list of grounds for granting this status. Now, children who have survived deportation or forced displacement, as well as those who have lost one or both parents due to military action, will be able to take advantage of it. The status also applies to cases where a child has been left without parental care as a result of war.
Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading a bill developed by the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, which provides for an increase in payments for families with children, additional support for families with children with disabilities, and the creation of better conditions for childcare.
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