On February 25, 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted Resolution No. 259, which establishes the procedure for providing and paying for health and recreational services for children in need of special social attention and support.
The document provides for the organization of recreation at facilities listed in the state registry, as well as the implementation of safety measures under martial law, particularly at facilities in the western regions of Ukraine. This applies to the children of military personnel, law enforcement officers, rescue workers, internally displaced persons, war veterans, and the families of fallen Defenders of Ukraine. The goal is to restore their physical, mental, and psychological health. (https://www.kmu.gov.ua/npas/deiaki-pytannia-nadannia-ta-oplaty-posluh-z-ozdorovlennia-ta-vidpochynku-ditei-259-250256).
What services have been introduced?
The government has introduced health and recreation services for children at top-tier health and recreation facilities located in the Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernivtsi regions, have civil defense shelters, are included in the State Register of Property Objects for Children’s Health and Recreation, and have entered into agreements with the Social Protection Fund for Persons with Disabilities.
These services include a range of specialized social, educational, medical, hygienic, and sports activities aimed at organizing children’s leisure time, restoring, improving, and strengthening their physical and mental health, and fostering spiritual and social development, which are provided at health and recreation facilities through the delivery of health and recreation services for children.
Who is eligible for the service?
The recipients of these services are children aged 7 to 18 who require restoration of their physical and mental health and fall into the following categories:
- children of military personnel in the Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Guard;
- children of enlisted personnel and officers in the State Emergency Service and the police;
- children of internally displaced persons;
- children of individuals who are being discharged or have been discharged from military service, including war veterans who have rendered special services to the Motherland;
- children of fallen (deceased) Defenders of Ukraine;
- orphans and children deprived of parental care;
- children of persons recognized as combatants in accordance with paragraphs 19–24 of Part 1 of Article 6 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Status of War Veterans and Guarantees of Their Social Protection”;
- children registered as internally displaced persons;
- children whose parent was killed (or went missing) in the area of the anti-terrorist operation, the implementation of measures to ensure national security and defense, and the repulsion and deterrence of armed aggression by the Russian Federation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, combat operations or armed conflicts, or who died as a result of wounds, concussions, or injuries sustained in the area of the anti-terrorist operation, the implementation of measures to ensure national security and defense, and the repulsion and deterrence of armed aggression by the Russian Federation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, combat operations, or armed conflicts;
- children residing in settlements located on the line of contact;
- biological children of foster parents or adoptive parents living in the same family-type children’s home or with the same foster family;children with disabilities who are capable of self-care;
- children from large families;
- children from low-income families.
How to access the service? - at the structural unit of the district, or district within the city of Kyiv, state administration (military administration), or the executive body of the city, district within the city (if established), settlement or village council, whose jurisdiction includes matters related to the organization of health and recreation services for children, at the address of the declared/registered place of residence (stay) or actual place of residence for an internally displaced person, obtain a certificate confirming the child’s eligibility for health and recreation services in the form established by the Ministry of Social Policy;
- select one of the health and recreation facilities with which the Social Protection Fund for Persons with Disabilities has entered into an agreement;
- one of the parents (or a person acting in their stead) must contact the director of the selected health and recreation facility via electronic means to obtain consent and confirmation that the facility can provide health and recreation services for children, specifying the duration of the child’s stay at the facility.
A list of health and recreation facilities that meet the criteria set forth in the Procedure is available on the official website of the Social Protection Fund for Persons with Disabilities at https://www.ispf.gov.ua/diyalnist/realizaciya-pilotnih-proektiv -shchodo-zakupivli-socposlug/posluga-z-ozdorovlennya-ta-vidpochinku-ditej2026/perelik-dityachih-zakladiv-ozdorovlennya-ta-vidpochinku-ditej-2026
Why is this important?
This program is designed to support the children of our defenders, internally displaced persons, and children affected by the war. It will help children regain their strength, receive psychological support, and feel the care of the state.
The Donetsk Regional State Administration invites you to take advantage of this opportunity and provide children with health and recreation in safe conditions.