Key Recommendations on the Reform of Ukraine’s Child Protection and Care System
Eurochild joins international and national NGOs asking Ukraine, the EU and international partners to develop and support an inclusive child protection and care system for children in Ukraine.
The Government of Ukraine has rightly been commended for continuing to explore how to improve its child protection system, even during a brutal conflict. Building on this momentum and political will, we call on the Government of Ukraine to embrace a unified vision for its child protection and care system.
The Government of Ukraine, along with international partners, should establish a tracking, family tracing and reunification mechanism for all children connected to the care system, including those currently outside of Ukraine, ensuring that all returns are planned with an assessment of the best interests of the children with a view to avoiding their re-institutionalisation. This should lay the groundwork for a reformed care and protection system.
We call on the Government of Ukraine to formulate a single national care reform strategy, with a strong mandate backed up by legislation, that entails a full transformation of the care system for children and an end to the use of residential institutions. This should be accompanied by an action plan with an allocated budget, delivered through a coordinated mechanism with a single focal point, and should involve all relevant ministries and authorities, as well as civil society organisations, donor representatives and child protection experts.
We stand ready to support the Government of Ukraine and its international partners in the implementation of these recommendations.
