The Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development

Congratulations to Ursula von der Leyen on her re-election as President of the European Commission! Mrs. Ursula has played a key role in the creation of the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Childcare Development. Thank you for your steadfast values, exemplary leadership, support for Ukraine, and special thanks for your support of Ukrainian children.

On 29 June, the first National Prayer Breakfast was held under the patronage of the President of Ukraine. More than 800 people from 15 countries, including representatives of 12 denominations, gathered in a collective prayer for peace in Ukraine and the triumph of good over evil. One of the key topics discussed was the welfare of young Ukrainians, the plight of children during the war, and the return of illegally deported children from the aggressor country. Our colleague Kyrylo Lapko shared his story. At the age of 13, the war caught him in Donetsk. Now, he is 23 and helps children all over Ukraine. His story is not just one person's narrative. It is a reminder of how war changes childhood but cannot break the spirit. It is a reminder of why we are fighting and for whom. It is a call to action for everyone to do everything possible to preserve the future of our children, to give them back their carefree childhood and to give them hope for a peaceful life where children's laughter is louder than explosions and dreams are stronger than fear.

The Coordination Centre recently attended the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024) in Berlin, a pivotal event dedicated to the sustainable recovery and long-term rebuilding of Ukraine since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion. URC2024 aims to mobilize international support for the restoration, reconstruction, and modernization of Ukraine. This year, the conference emphasized the human dimension of recovery, placing it at the center of discussions. During the conference, we engaged with key international partners and stakeholders to advocate for prioritizing children's needs in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts. We held productive discussions with organizations like Save the Children, UNICEF, GMF, CORE, IsraAID and various governmental and business leaders. We are grateful for the unwavering support of our partners. Together, we are united in our mission to rebuild a brighter and more inclusive future for Ukraine. #URC2024 #UkraineRecovery #RebuildingUkraine #ChildFocusedRecovery

Ever wondered what it takes to adopt a child or where to find useful information about it? The new free course ‘Born by Heart’ will tell you about the entire process in 11 short videos - how to go from the first thought "I want to adopt" to welcoming a child into your family. In this course, you'll discover how to: ✔️ Recognize and strengthen your motivation to adopt ✔️ Be ready for the needs of children based on their experiences, condition, and age ✔️ Prepare for the first meeting ✔️ Navigate the entire adoption process step by step ✔️ Prepare for the child's adaptation in your family Whether you’ve thought, “Maybe I should adopt a child,” are preparing for the process, or are simply curious about being an adoptive parent, this course offers a complete overview of the journey—from legal aspects to psychological preparation and adaptation. Register now for free! Find the link in our stories and shift to the EdEra platform. The course was developed by the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development in cooperation with the EdEra online education studio, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the National Social Service of Ukraine, with the financial support of the Delegation of the European Union and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine.

The Coordination Center participated in the presentation of the French system for working with people with disabilities, conducted by Expertise France as part of the mAIDan Ukraine program. 📣A delegation of French representatives held an educational seminar on the specifics of social work in their country. The representatives of France explained the specificities of the work of the French Ministry of Labour, Health and Solidarity (Ministère des Solidarités) and the general system of social guarantees in their country, in particular access to employment for persons with disabilities in France. 🇫🇷The French delegation included Daniel Mathieu, General Administrator of Task Force Ukraine, Antonina Gain, Project Manager of Task Force Ukraine, Genevieve Heydan from the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs, and Yannick Demat, Director of Child and Family Protection of the Finistère Department Council. Additionally, Benedict Otier, Director of Access to Rights and Pathways at the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (La Caisse nationale de solidarité pour l'autonomie - CNSA), joined the seminar online. The event was organised as part of an initiative to exchange experiences on deinstitutionalising between Ukraine and France. Among the participants were representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy, including Iryna Postolovska - Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration. And Tetiana Lomakina Advisor - Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment. 🤝We thank our French colleagues for sharing their expertise in working with people with disabilities.

It is crucial to ensure changes at the local level according to an agreed national plan during the Better Care Reform. That's why we held a two-day training session in Lviv on planning the implementation of the Strategy for Ensuring Every Child’s Right to Grow Up in a Family Environment in Ukraine at the regional and local levels. The training was aimed at representatives from five pilot regions: Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, Volyn, and Lviv. Pilot projects in the field of childcare and support for children will be implemented in the territorial communities (hromadas) of these regions. Among the participants were deputy heads of regional military administrations, heads of regional child services, directors of social protection departments, and representatives of pilot hromadas. The training covered various topics: 🔹 The importance of implementing a service package to ensure a child's right to grow up in a family environment; 🔸 Strengthening the capacity of local authorities to sustainably manage the social service delivery system and ensure effective interdepartmental cooperation to identify and support families in difficult life circumstances; 🔹 The development of adoption and family-based care, assessing community needs for various family-based care forms, and ensuring the recruitment, training, and support of candidates for adoption; 🔸 Approaches to transforming residential institutions, considering each child's interests and individual needs; 🔹 Financial aspects of planning the Strategy’s implementation, potential funding sources, and models for optimizing financial calculations for regional plans and local development programs; 🔸 A communication strategy for the successful implementation of the Better Care Reform; 🔹 The Romanian, Bulgarian, and Moldovan experiences of implementing such reforms. We are grateful to all the representatives of hromadas and regions for their commitment to ensuring every child's right to grow up in a family environment. We also thank our partners, including the NGOs "Social Synergy" and "Family for Persons with Disabilities," the Ukrainian Better Care Network Group, Hope and Homes for Children, Lumos, the European Disability Forum, and Maestral, for sharing their knowledge and experience with the training participants. Together, we can ensure every child in Ukraine has the right to harmonious development in a family environment and create safe and supportive conditions for their growth! The training was organized by the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Childcare Development, with the support of the European Union and UNICEF in Ukraine.

Thousands of Ukrainian children endured the true hell of occupation and deportation due to the brutal war initiated by the Russian Federation. To draw international attention to this issue repeatedly, a Ukrainian delegation visited Argentina as part of the "Stolen Voices" information campaign. The delegation informed the global community about the horrific crimes committed by the Russian Federation against Ukrainian children, calling for united efforts to rescue them, stop the deportation and forced relocation, prevent the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russian families and utilize all possible measures for the safe return of Ukrainian children to Ukraine. Led by Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor - Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, Mykola Lytvynenko, Deputy Head of the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Childcare Development joined the delegation. Yurii Klymenko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Argentina also participated in the meetings. Teenagers Ivan Matkovskyi and Vladyslav Buryak, who suffered from Russian aggression, gave their testimonies firsthand in the halls of the Argentine Congress, the Buenos Aires Legislature, ministries and departments, embassies and analytical and academic institutions of Argentina. Vlad spent 90 days in Russian captivity and witnessed the torture of Ukrainian civilians by Russians. Ivan was kidnapped and forcibly relocated by the Russians, spent 2 months in Russian-controlled Donetsk, and narrowly escaped adoption by a "new" Russian family. The boys not only shared their harrowing experiences with Argentina but also called on everyone to become partners with Ukraine in the severe battle against the Russian aggressor. This trip marked another step in the implementation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's action plan "Bring Kids Back UA," aimed at returning kidnapped children and their reintegration. Only by joining our forces can we protect our children, bring them home and put an end to Russia's crimes against them.

The Coordination Center team, along with representatives of state authorities and local self-government bodies, participated in a study visit to the Republic of Estonia 🇪🇪on May 13-17. Key aspects of the functioning of the Estonian childcare and support system were identified, including: 🟡 a centralized system for searching, assessing, and preparing foster families and adoption candidates; 🟡 support services for children, foster families, and adoptive parents during and after the child's stay in alternative care; 🟡 the introduction of service quality criteria, as well as oversight and supervision systems for professionals; 🟡 the development of services for children with disabilities at the municipal level (care, transportation, personal assistance); 🟡 a focus on prevention and self-help in the field of mental health, involving communities, educational institutions, and primary healthcare. 🏠The vast majority of orphans and children deprived of parental care in this country are raised in family based-care forms, such as foster families and guardian families . A certain percentage of children (approximately 700 children) still remain in institutions. However, a maximum of six children can be raised in such institutions at the same time, so caregivers have more resources in order to devote sufficient attention to each child. If a child is removed from a family, the local government authority has only 72 hours to either return the child to the biological parents or apply to a court for the restriction or termination of their parental rights. The country is also actively working on reforming the system of support for children with disabilities to make it faster, more efficient, and comprehensive. Key elements of the reform include IT solutions for managing and exchanging data between professionals from various fields, including social workers, medical professionals, and educators, coordinated network work and case management, as well as improving access to support and services for children and parents. We sincerely thank our Estonian colleagues for their openness and willingness to share their experiences. After all, caring for children is the key to the future for every nation.

❤️On May 15th, the International Day of Families reminds us of the importance of family as a support and foundation for children. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, thousands of children are growing up in institutional care, deprived of love, and support of parents. This can be prevented by strengthening families' abilities and developing family-based alternative care. Now, there is a unified governmental platform, https://www.dity.gov.ua, for adoption and family-based childcare, which will help Ukrainians learn how to support children growing up without parental care.

Ukraine has launched the Better Care Reform to create a supportive community-based system for children and families, upholding every child's right to grow up in a family environment and has opportunities for full and harmonious development. The Government of Ukraine is currently working on establishing an International Advisory Group, serving as a platform for collaboration, guidance, and ongoing support to strengthen Ukraine’s child care and protection systems. Learn more about the Better Care Reform in Ukraine and its key goals in this short video👇