Our mission is to provide people with quality social services and create comfortable working conditions for providers: Liudmyla Shemelynets

Ensuring quality social services for people and creating comfortable working conditions for providers are among the priorities of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity. Liudmyla Shemelynets, First Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity, told during a dialogue meeting titled “From Small Grants to Big Changes.”

The event brought together over 150 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine, the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities, the National Social Service of Ukraine, UNICEF, the Embassy of the United Kingdom, ISAR Ednannia, as well as organizations providing social services and representatives of local authorities.

The meeting aimed to present key directions of the social services system reform in Ukraine, highlight the role of the SPIRIT program and the small grants project in developing a transparent and understandable social services market, and create a platform for experience sharing and networking.

“I am grateful to our partners for their collaboration, support, and development of social services. It is through small steps that big changes begin, which we scale together across various sectors. Pilot projects allow us to test new approaches, identify gaps, and transition to sustainable state funding mechanisms. Our task is to provide people with quality services and create comfortable working conditions for providers. Because quality and timely response to people’s needs are the most important,” emphasized Liudmyla Shemelynets.

The dialogue meeting marked the start of a new phase of the small grants project, with 120 grantees beginning to provide social services in 10 regions of Ukraine and Kyiv.

“The United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and remains a reliable partner in these challenging times. We view social policy not as an expense but as an investment in the dignity, resilience, and future of Ukrainians. Our task, together with our partners, is to turn ideas into real changes and create a system that works for people. For this, honest feedback is crucial, as only open dialogue will allow us to improve services and build a stronger Ukraine,” said Andrew Ockenden, Development Director at the British Embassy in Ukraine.

In turn, Shameza Abdulla, UNICEF Deputy Representative for Programmes in Ukraine, noted that nearly five thousand children with disabilities require daily social support and inclusion. “Additionally, in the first half of 2025 alone, over three thousand children in Ukraine suffered from abuse and violence, while more than 9,500 orphans and children deprived of parental care are being raised in foster families, family-type children’s homes, or under guardianship and care. All these children and their caregivers rely on social services for stability, protection, and inclusion,” she emphasized.

Key speeches and discussions focused on developing the social services system for families with children, establishing a transparent social services market and procurement rules, the role of a unified procurement entity, and social sector reform, as well as strengthening the capacity of service providers and fostering partnerships between the state, communities, and international organizations.

“Strengthening the capacity of social service providers and supporting them is not just assistance but an investment in the future. This project provides civil society and charitable organizations with what they need most: comprehensive support and a unique opportunity to enter the social services market, become professional providers, operate according to state standards, and continue this mission after the project’s completion. For ISAR Ednannia, the development and strengthening of the civil society sector in the social sphere is a strategic priority, and this project opens new horizons for it,” said Iryna Bieliaieva, Partnership Development Coordinator at ISAR Ednannia.

Among other activities, participants engaged in interactive networking and workshops on state standards and key social services, covering topics from building resilience and early intervention to inclusive education and quality monitoring.

Background Information

The Small Grants Program is implemented in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 40 dated January 17, 2025, titled “On the Implementation of a Joint Project with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Providing Financial Assistance in the Form of Small Grants for Social Services for Families with Children, and Children and/or Early Intervention Services.” 

Under the program, 120 social service providers received grants of up to USD 60,000 each to deliver social services and strengthen their capacity as service providers. 

This event was made possible with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom through the project “Social Protection for Inclusion, Resilience, Innovation, and Transformation (SPIRIT),” implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine, the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities, and UNICEF Ukraine, administered by ISAR Ednannia.