Ministry of Social Policy is the national coordinator of the implementation of a deinstitutionalization strategy that should reduce the number of orphans in boarding schools and aim at supporting the family, creating the conditions for raising children in the family or environment as close to family as possible. Strengthening financial support aimed to protect the interests of families with children is one of the significant components of this activity. The Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Yulia Sokolovska stated during a trip to Odesa region.

“Our goal is to ensure that every child is raised in a family or in a family-friendly environment. Since 2020, there has been an increase in payments from 2 to 2.5 subsistence wages for orphans and children deprived of parental care being raised in orphanages, adoptive or foster families. In absolute terms, this is an increase in payments of at least UAH 1,100 per month. When talking about children with disabilities, the increase was from 2 to 3.5 subsistence wages, which is equal to almost UAH 3,000 per month,” Yulia Sokolovska emphasized.

The Minister added that in 2020, the Government also increased the amount of cash payment provided to caregivers and foster parents from 70% to 100% of the subsistence minimum.

“In monetary terms, this is an additional UAH 630 per month,” the Minister of Social Policy emphasized.

According to Yulia Sokolovska, considerable attention is also paid to the housing programs for orphans and other vulnerable children.

“In particular, last year, due to the joint efforts of the Government and local authorities, we purchased almost a twofold amount of housing for orphans and children deprived of parental care than had been planned. If in 2018, 829 apartments had been purchased, in 2019 we managed to increase this indicator to 1971 apartments,” the Minister summarized.