Yulia Svyrydenko attends Family for Every Child: Better Care Awards ceremony

The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko, took part in the ceremony for the Family for Every Child: Better Care Awards.

“Today, on World Children’s Day, I joined the First Lady and ministers at the Better Care Awards to finally say a loud and heartfelt thank you to people who rarely appear in front of cameras and seldom speak publicly about their lives and the challenges they face,” Yulia Svyrydenko said. “Their stories deserve special attention because they are about courageous people with big hearts who were not afraid to take responsibility for the lives of children in difficult circumstances. These are individuals who do not seek the limelight but create light around themselves and everyone they touch. By your example, you restore faith in goodness and in this world.”

The Head of the Government expressed gratitude to First Lady Olena Zelenska for initiating this award and for drawing attention to issues of child care.

“Children are not just our future; they are our present. This is vital work that must be systematic,” the Prime Minister stressed.

Yulia Svyrydenko noted that yesterday the Government adopted decisions to improve care and support for children: in particular, it established procedures for responding to cases of violence against children, strengthened protection for children affected by russian aggression, and introduced additional guarantees for graduates of residential institutions.

According to her, in October the Government launched the Family Home project for orphans and children deprived of parental care, which will initially operate in 12 regions. This is a new transitional space between residential institutions and independent living – primarily for teenagers, children with disabilities, and siblings who find it hard to be placed with a new family. It is an environment as close as possible to genuine family conditions.

The Government has also implemented the “money follows the child” principle by increasing payments to foster parents and parent-educators in family-type children’s homes.

“We will continue to support all initiatives that protect the rights of our children and give them the opportunity to grow up in a safe and caring environment,” Yulia Svyrydenko emphasised.