The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has made new decisions to enhance assistance for children affected by deportation and occupation, as well as for children deprived of parental care. This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
This is reported by Kyiv24
New Programs to Support Orphaned Children
The government has launched the “Family Home” project aimed at supporting orphaned children and those without parental care who find it difficult to find a new family. The main focus is on teenagers, children with disabilities, and large sibling groups. According to Svyrydenko, a space will be created for these children to adapt between living in an orphanage and independent life, as close as possible to the conditions of a real family.
In addition, payments for foster parents and adoptive parents in family-type children’s homes and foster families have been increased.
Expansion of Financial Assistance for Deported Children
The government is particularly focused on supporting children and youth who were forcibly deported by Russia or who were in occupied territories. Now, the right to a one-time assistance payment of 50,000 hryvnias will be granted not only to children under 18 but also to young people up to 23 years old, if they were minors at the time of deportation.
“We are expanding support for children returned from occupation or forced deportation by Russia. Now, the right to assistance of 50,000 UAH will be granted not only to children under 18 but also to young people aged 18–23 who were minors during deportation,” Svyrydenko stated.
Svyrydenko emphasized that these steps will facilitate the adaptation and reintegration of young people after their return to Ukraine.
Additionally, the government has granted youth up to 23 years old, who grew up without parental care, the right to receive free secondary legal assistance.
The Cabinet has also approved a unified procedure for medical examinations for potential adoptive parents, which will simplify the adoption process.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, as of September 23, thanks to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative and the support of international partners, 1,625 children illegally taken by Russia from occupied territories have been returned to Ukraine.