On 20 April 2023, representatives of the Ukrainian Government met with a delegation from the European Union to discuss challenges in protecting the rights of Ukrainian children and developing family-based care.

The event was attended by Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi, First Deputy Minister of Health Serhiy Dubrov, and Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets. The European delegation was represented by Vice-President of the European Commission for Democrasy and Demography Dubravka Šuica, Minister of Social Services of the Kingdom of Sweden, representing the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Camilla Waltersson Grönwall, Vice-President and Coordinator of the European Parliament for Children's Rights Ewa Kopacz.

"Protection of the rights and interests of Ukrainian children, in particular, the right of every child to live in a family, healthy growth and development, provision of necessary social services, as well as access to quality inclusive education in the community - these are the priority areas of our activities. These priorities are based on the European values of respect for human dignity, equality and human rights protection," said Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine.

Thus, thanks to the development of family-based forms of care, 2,908 foster families (in which 5,580 children are brought up) and 1,308 family-type children's homes (where 9,011 children are brought up) are already operating in Ukraine. In 2023, it is planned to create 47 more family-type children's homes, 86 foster families and 49 foster care families.

The participants of the event paid special attention to the illegal transfer and detention of Ukrainian children in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and deportation to the territory of the russian federation.

In addition, the parties discussed the provision of social services aimed at supporting children and their families, the prospects for reforming the alternative care system in Ukraine, including improving family-based care solutions for orphans and children deprived of parental care.

The meeting participants also stressed the importance of focusing on children's interests in the comprehensive reform of the child protection system during Ukraine's reconstruction.

"Children are important agents of change and building our future. It is a moral imperative and our shared responsibility to protect them, ensure their safety, and provide them with opportunities to succeed in life and contribute as citizens to a prosperous and peaceful Europe," the participants said in a joint statement.

Representatives of Ukrainian and European authorities stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between EU member states, EU institutions and Ukraine in the social sphere, and confirmed the need for further joint work to enhance capacity to prevent child rights violations and respond to child protection needs in Ukraine and the European Union.