European Child Guarantee – a key step in Ukraine’s European integration

Updated  

Ukraine has embarked on the implementation of the European Child Guarantee – as announced during the forum “European Child Guarantee: Preparations for Implementation in Ukraine,” held in Kyiv on July 24. The event gathered representatives of the Government, local communities, international partners, and civil society. This step will consolidate existing state policies on child rights protection into a unified European framework, enhancing Ukraine’s efforts to tackle child poverty, social exclusion, and unequal access to essential services.

The European Child Guarantee (ECG) is an EU initiative aimed at combating child poverty and social exclusion by ensuring free and equal access to key services. The Guarantee prioritizes the most vulnerable children and covers five areas: early childhood education and care, healthcare, healthy nutrition, proper accommodation, and inclusive education.

“When people in Europe say ‘a child’s life,’ they mean well-being, opportunities, growth. In Ukraine today, we mean physical survival. When they say ‘the future’ in Europe, it means a perspective for years. We sometimes narrow the meaning of this phrase to ‘surviving until tomorrow.’ This is the reality that russia’s invasion has created. And children are its most vulnerable hostages. Yet even under these conditions, all parents, all responsible adults, and entire countries have made a principled decision – to give children a proper childhood. And importantly, the state has made this decision as well,” the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska noted.

Ukraine is one of the EU candidate countries that has declared readiness to implement the European Child Guarantee. This decision is a logical continuation of Ukraine’s strategic course toward European integration and reflects a strong political commitment to building child-centered public policy.

“For over three years, russia’s full-scale war has had a profound impact on Ukrainian children. At the core of these challenges is the violation of fundamental child rights – to safety, education, development, and healthcare. In this context, implementing the European Child Guarantee is not only a response to the humanitarian crisis, but also a structural element of our EU accession path. It is a tool that will help ensure access for every child to quality education, healthcare, and nutrition; support the development of a service-oriented state with children at the center of policymaking; and strengthen intersectoral coordination aligned with key EU principles,” said Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

The implementation of the ECG in Ukraine is not only a component of internal transformation, but also a clear signal to the European Union of Ukraine’s commitment to shared values.

“As Ukraine rebuilds, it has the chance to put children at the heart of its recovery and EU path. The European Child Guarantee offers practical tools to support families hit by the war, break the cycle of poverty, and strengthen child protection systems. By aligning national reforms like the Better Care Reform with this approach–and ensuring strong investment and coordination–Ukraine can build a more inclusive, resilient future where every child thrives,” stated Katarína Mathernová, EU Ambassador to Ukraine.

Ukraine will implement the ECG not as a standalone project but as an integrated component of its approved strategies in child protection, education, healthcare, social policy, inclusion, and family support. This includes the Better Care Reform, the School Nutrition Reform, the development of inclusive education, the implementation of a barrier-free environment, and the expansion of community-based services. The ECG brings these efforts into a single policy framework aligned with EU standards and strengthens national child protection priorities.

“We are pleased to see Ukraine’s commitment to a whole-of-government approach that consolidates existing initiatives into an effective and inclusive policy for children, which is aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and EU standards. The implementation of the European Child Guarantee, supported by EU institutions and Member States, will be crucial in ensuring that the rights of every child, particularly the most vulnerable, are protected. We welcome the clear prioritisation of this agenda in the EU accession process, as well as the collective efforts to ensure that no child is left behind,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine.

The full-scale war has already affected the lives of over 7 million children in Ukraine. More than 3 million children have limited access to essential services. Special attention must be paid to those at heightened risk: children with disabilities, children from low-income families, those in institutional care, and children from ethnic minority backgrounds. These groups are most often deprived of access to education, healthcare, and proper accommodation – and require comprehensive support.

“For Ukraine, which is fighting for its future, protecting every child is not optional – it is essential. We cannot allow vulnerability to be a reason for denying access to education, healthcare, or proper nutrition. The European Child Guarantee shows us the path toward building a system where no child is overlooked,” emphasized Iryna Tuliakova, Head of the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development, Ukrainian Government Focal Point for the Implementation of the European Child Guarantee. “We need to unite everyone who works with and for children. It is crucial that support reaches the child where they live and grow – at school, in kindergarten, in their community. This can only happen through coordinated, cross-sectoral action – and that is precisely the cooperation we are discussing today.”

The forum presented the key principles of the ECG, shared experiences of EU Member States and candidate countries, and explored how the initiative can be adapted to the Ukrainian context. Participants discussed strategic solutions to maintain the continuity of ongoing reforms while aligning sectoral policies within the ECG framework. Special attention was given to child protection practices already being implemented by Ukrainian communities that hold potential for scaling.

Ukraine’s implementation of the European Child Guarantee is part of its broader European integration process and aligns with commitments under the EU accession track through 2030. The next step will be the development of a National Action Plan – a framework document that will consolidate existing strategic decisions, define additional targeted actions and progress indicators, and ensure the systemic integration of the Guarantee into state child policy.

Note:

The forum was organized by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine, the German Government through the German Government’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank, the European Union, the NGO “UAExperts,” and the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development.