On May 28, Oleksandr Shevchenko, Deputy Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, took part in a regular meeting of the Council of Regions of the Coordination Center for the Development of Family-Based Childcare and Upbringing, which was held in Kyiv.
The discussion was joined by members of the Council of Regions of the Coordination Center for the Development of Family Education and Child Care, representatives of central and local executive authorities, local self-government bodies, as well as international public and charitable organizations.
During the meeting, participants reviewed issues related to monitoring the reform and priority areas for implementing the Strategy to Ensure Every Child’s Right to Grow Up in a Family Environment, as well as practices for implementing the reform in the regions.
Particular attention was paid to the transformation of the social support system in communities, preparations for the introduction of new social services, and experience in implementing projects to develop family-based care for children deprived of parental care.
Despite active hostilities in the Donetsk region and the mandatory evacuation of the population, one of the priority areas of work remains the placement of orphans and children deprived of parental care in family-based care settings.
According to the latest data, there are 65 family-type children’s homes in the region, caring for 438 children; 118 foster families, caring for 217 children; and 6 guardianship families, providing guardianship services to 18 children. Due to the security situation, all family-based care arrangements have been evacuated from Donetsk Oblast to safer regions of Ukraine and abroad, where they continue to receive necessary funding and comprehensive social support.
Following the meeting, participants emphasized the need to further strengthen support for families with children, promote interregional cooperation, and create conditions so that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a family environment. The Donetsk Regional State Administration continues to work on improving the system for protecting children’s rights and implementing effective mechanisms to support family-based care arrangements.