On November 26, the Government approved the Strategy, which aims to provide every child in Ukraine with the opportunity to grow up in a family environment. The document is designed for 2024-2028, and also provides for an action plan for 2024-2026.
Family is a state priority
Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy, emphasized that Ukraine is gradually moving away from the boarding school system of childcare:
“Boarding schools should be a thing of the past. We are creating conditions under which every child will receive family warmth. To do this, we help families and support them both at the state and community levels.”
The new approach is already being tested in 10 regions, and the budget for the next year provides for additional funds to support family-based care.
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What does the Strategy envisage?
The document defines six key objectives:
- Helping families with children so that they can provide safe conditions for the child’s development;
- creating opportunities for orphans to be raised in families rather than in institutions;
- helping children displaced by the war to live and develop in communities;
- transforming children’s institutions into institutions that help children and families;
- support for children who were raised outside the family so that they can successfully integrate into society;
- creating conditions for the implementation of this reform.
Target by 2028
The reform aims to
- to ensure that 95% of orphans are brought up in families or family-based care;
- reduce the number of children in institutions by 30%, and children under the age of three by 80%;
- increase the availability of services for children with disabilities by 30%.
Impact of the war
The strategy takes into account the difficulties faced by families due to the war: displacement, loss of property, psychological trauma, etc.
Iryna Tuliakova, head of the Coordination Center for Family Education Development, said:
“We are moving towards providing support to families and developing family-based forms of upbringing instead of keeping children in institutions. This is our way as a European country.”
Read also: Social protection in times of war: what the 2025 budget envisages
Support from international partners
UNICEF supports this step, emphasizing that the family is the best environment for a child. UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Munir Mammadzadeh said,
“The family is the foundation of a child’s safety, development and well-being. Especially in times of war, families remain the pillar that supports children’s resilience and development. This initiative is not just a step in policy reform, but a symbol of Ukraine’s unwavering commitment to its children and their future. UNICEF is proud to support Ukraine on this journey, striving to ensure that every child grows up in a loving and supportive family environment.”
The regions of Ukraine now have to develop their own plans for the implementation of the Strategy. The process will be coordinated by a special center under the Cabinet of Ministers. The reform confirms Ukraine’s commitment to European standards and creates conditions for a better life for children.
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