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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
In Ukraine, more than 58 thousand children have the status of orphans or children deprived of parental care, but only 1850 candidates have been registered as adoptive parents. At parliamentary hearings on 17 September, representatives of services and foster families said that the new law on child protection is already in effect, but a shortage of staff, funds, and necessary subordinate regulations complicates its implementation.
This was reported by Dzerkalo Tyzhnia.
On the eve of Adoption Day, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy discussed how the state ensures family-based upbringing of children. One of the main topics was Law No. 2541-IX, which took effect on 5 August after a long wait for the president’s signature. It is intended to delineate the responsibilities of state bodies and communities in the field of child protection, but some of the subordinate acts necessary for its implementation still have not been prepared.
The need for family-based care is growing, while the number of families ready to take in children is shrinking. Before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine had about 5100 foster families and family-type orphanages; now there are fewer than 4000. Approximately six to seven children are placed with such families every day, but almost as many leave them. At the same time, about 35 children acquire the status of orphan or child deprived of parental care each day.
Foster mother Tetyana Vengreniuk emphasized that a family-type orphanage should not be seen only as a place with available beds. According to her, parents raising children with traumatic experiences, disabilities, or challenging behavior need support, not a constant increase in the number of children in care without regard for the family’s capabilities.
Separately at the hearings they raised the issue of the safety of children already living in family-based care. The head of the Temporary Investigative Commission, Pavlo Sushko, reported cases of violence that, he said, had been overlooked by the responsible services. In particular, in Dnipro children were placed with one family over a long period even though it could not cope with their upbringing. In Odesa region, several teenagers were immediately placed in a newly formed foster family, and later one of the girls was beaten by the foster mother.
Participants in the hearings drew attention to the fact that different institutions can report separately on fulfilling their duties without having full information about a specific child’s situation. Under such conditions, problems in a family can remain unnoticed, even when it is in contact with social workers, schools, medical professionals, and the police.
The situation is complicated by a lack of specialists. According to the head of the State Service for Children’s Affairs, Valentyna Zozulia, the agency’s staff establishment provides for 200 positions, but in fact only 74 people are working. In Volyn, about 30% of communities have only one child welfare service worker, and the salaries of such specialists often amount to 10–12 thousand hryvnias.
Communities also report difficulties finding foster parents. The executive director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Oleksandr Slobozhan, noted that 92% of surveyed communities named a shortage of candidates as one of the problems. At the same time, the draft state budget for 2027 proposes reducing the share of personal income tax that remains with communities from 64% to 60%.
The financial burden on foster families was described by Iryna Umanska, who raises ten children, including six foster children. According to her, the family receives about 86 thousand hryvnias in monthly payments, but a large portion of that money goes to utilities, house maintenance, and fuel. Almost nothing is left for clothing, clubs, development, and recreation for the children.
Another unresolved issue is support for young people after reaching adulthood. Aksana Filipishyna, representative of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, proposed extending assistance to children under guardianship until 23 years old on the condition that they are studying. The Ministry of Social Policy reported that it is working on corresponding changes, but did not name specific timelines for their introduction.
Forced displacement due to the war additionally affects the child protection system. According to UNICEF data, more than 2,6 million Ukrainian children have left their homes: 791 thousand were displaced within Ukraine, and almost 1,8 million are abroad.
At the same time, the number of children in institutional care has decreased to 3265 — about one third less than two years ago. On the adoption register there are 14 333 children, while 1850 candidates have been registered as adoptive parents.
Children’s rights expert Liudmyla Volynets drew attention to the difficulties in determining personal responsibility for decisions regarding a specific child. According to her, powers are divided among ministries, services, and communities, and the possibility of placing a child in a family should not depend on whether a strong civil society organization operates in that region.
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