Ukraine needs to build a rights-based child protection system
Eurochild member Hopes and Homes for Children is urging the Ukrainian Government and the European Union to protect children in alternative care through deinstitutionalization reforms.
In December 2020, Hopes and Homes for Children (Eurochild member), along with 20 civil society organisations, called on the Ukrainian Government to establish a national body with adequate executive power and financial and human resources, in order to implement the child protection and care reform.
Despite the Government’s promise of transforming the national care system for children, nearly 100,000 children and young people still live in institutions across Ukraine. Furthermore, special boarding schools, education and rehabilitation centres are excluded from the National Strategy for Deinstitutionalisation and there is no plan at the moment to put an end to the placement of babies and very young children in institutions.
Institutionalization is a harmful practice against the wellbeing of all children and it leads to multiple violations of the rights of children. On this account, we urge the European Union to raise issues above with the Government of Ukraine (in the 2021 progress report on Article 14), and to provide budget support and technical assistance (via the 2021-2027 programming period) for the implementation of the reforms.
