Total Population: 43 million
Total Children under the age of 18: 9 million
Country situation:
Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe. The country regained its independence in 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ukraine suffers from a high poverty rate as well as severe corruption. However, because of its extensive fertile farmlands, Ukraine is one of the largest grain exporters in the world.
The situation of children in Ukraine
Children outside of Parental Care:
106,000 children live in boarding schools of various types, of which 6,324 children have the status of orphan and can be adopted; another 64,996 orphans are under guardianship or are being raised in family settings.
Alternative care in Ukraine
Boarding system, foster families, adoption, a brief description of the data:
- The number of foster families is 3,512; there are 6,571 children in foster care
- The number of family-type children's homes is 1,103; there are 7,379 children in them
- The number of patronage families is 81; there are 256 children in them
- There are 51,224 orphaned children under guardianship.
Deinstitutionalization Reform
The reform of the system of institutional care and upbringing of children started in Ukraine in 2016 (the reform of deinstitutionalization - DI). The deinstitutionalization reform focused on supporting the family to prevent hardships or conditions that would force parents to send their children to boarding school. The essence of the DI reform is creating such conditions and services for families and children in the communities that are necessary and sufficient for the child to be raised in a family. The main goal of the DI reform in Ukraine is to change the system of institutional care and upbringing of children to a system that provides care and upbringing of the child in a family or family-type environment.
Ukraine Without Orphans
VISION: Ukraine Without Orphans vision is to see Ukraine as a country without orphans due to the fact that a conscious, responsible, mobilized Christian community changes the life of every orphan child, ensuring the formation and development of children in families in conditions of safety and well-being.
MISSION: Ukraine Without Orphans mission is to unite the efforts of caring people, organizations, and churches that work with a common goal - to reach all orphans with real care, give every child an opportunity to grow up in a loving family, and prevent orphanhood in Ukraine.
Contact: https://ukrainabezsyrit.org/
To learn more about Ukraine Without Orphans or to get involved, please visit https://ukrainabezsyrit.org/
Other Information about Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Family Care in Ukraine
Better Care Network Information on Family-Based Care in Ukraine
More information for prayer at Operation World