The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine supported the draft law developed by the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Improvement of Mechanisms for the Protection of Children and the Safeguarding of Their Right to a Family-Based Upbringing” (No. 15438 dated 22 July 2026).

The next step should be the consideration of the document by the Verkhovna Rada. The Ministry explained that the draft law is one of the key stages in the implementation of the Strategy for Ensuring the Right of Every Child in Ukraine to Grow Up in a Family Environment for 2024–2028 and provides for a comprehensive update of the child protection system.

Some of the proposed amendments directly concern the work of local governments, child welfare services, and guardianship and custody authorities.

Requirements for the work of child welfare services will be tightened

The draft law proposes to introduce a 24-hour rapid response system for child welfare services in cases of reports of a threat to a child’s life or health – including at night, at weekends, and on public holidays.

For this purpose, it is proposed to revise the staffing ratios for child welfare services:

• in urban communities – one employee per no more than 1,500 children;
• in rural and settlement communities – one employee per no more than 800 children;
• in communities with fewer children, the service must have at least three employees.

The Ministry also informed that on-call duty for child welfare service employees is proposed to be defined as a separate working arrangement with corresponding remuneration. If, whilst on such on-call duty, an employee is actually performing their official duties, this time will be paid as time worked, and work at night, at weekends or on public holidays will be remunerated in line with the requirements of labour legislation.

Communities must provide transport and equipment for the services

The draft law proposes, for the first time, to enshrine in law the obligation of communities to ensure that child welfare services have the means to reach a child promptly at any time of day or night.

The Ministry clarified that, to achieve this, communities must:

• provide services with official transport or alternative means (including transport operated by utility companies, contracts with transport operators, or reimbursement of costs for the use of personal transport in compliance with the law);
• equip employees with modern means of communication;
• provide mobile computer devices for work.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity has not explained where the communities will find the funding to meet these new requirements. No information has yet been made public on the specific funding mechanisms for the review of staffing levels, the organisation of a 24-hour response service, or the provision of transport, modern communications equipment, and mobile computer devices.

More support for family-based upbringing

The document provides for a significant increase in state support for families who raise orphans and children deprived of parental care.

In particular, the following is proposed:

• to increase monthly payments for children in care, in foster families, and in family-type children’s homes by roughly 2.7–2.8 times;
• to almost triple payments for children with disabilities;
• to introduce a one-time payment of UAH 36,000 when establishing guardianship or care, or when a child is placed with a foster family or in a family-type children’s home.

The Ministry clarified that the aforementioned numbers are indicative and will be finalised by the State Budget Law for 2027.

Priority is given to raising children in families

The draft law proposes that an orphan or a child deprived of parental care should remain in a children's home for no more than six months whilst a family placement is arranged for them.

The following is also envisaged:

• from 2027, to establish new family-based care models in the form of foster families (existing family-type children’s homes will continue to operate);
• not to separate brothers and sisters during adoption or placement with a family, except where this is in the children’s best interests;
• to create specialised foster families for children who need special care;
• to provide suitable accommodation to specialised foster families and foster families who look after five or more children;
• to allow foster parents to engage a carer to assist with looking after the children;
• to introduce a social service of temporary rest for foster parents and foster carers.

Besides, the draft law provides for the strengthening of social guarantees for foster parents and foster carers by improving the mechanism for paying the single social contribution.

New approaches to the protection of children’s rights

The document also contains a number of other important innovations.

In particular, it is proposed to prohibit adopting parents from concealing the fact of adoption from the child (the confidentiality of the adoption will be maintained only in relation to third parties), and to ensure that the family receives mandatory social support during the first year after adoption.

It also provides for the introduction of the role of a trusted representative, whom parents may appoint in the event of their death or loss of legal capacity, the creation of a legislative framework for child protection centres based on the Barnahus model, and the mandatory registration of non-state institutions for children in the Register of Social Service Providers.

The responsibilities of child welfare services will be strengthened

The draft law proposes to strengthen the responsibilities of child welfare and guardianship services.

The Ministry reported that if a court has issued a ruling to remove a child from their parents without terminating their parental rights, the child protection service will be obliged, within the timeframe set by the court, to submit a report on the measures taken to eliminate the causes of danger to the child. A personal fine is imposed on the head of the child protection service for the unjustified failure to submit such a report.

Moreover, if the court finds that, due to the inaction of officials, the child or family did not receive the necessary support, it will be obliged to report this to the pre-trial investigation authorities.

According to the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, the implementation of the draft law is intended to strengthen the capacity of child welfare services, improve coordination between all relevant authorities, and ensure that every child in Ukraine has the opportunity to grow up in a safe family environment.