Transformation of “children’s homes”: Ministry of Health updates on reform progress

In Ukraine, 13 institutions with the status of “children’s homes” still operate in nine regions where the transformation process has not yet been completed.

This was announced by Yevhen Honchar, Director of the Department of Medical Services of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, during a press briefing at the Media Center Ukraine.

“At present, there are 30 institutions where children of various statuses reside around the clock. Thirteen facilities in nine oblasts of Ukraine still hold the status of ‘children’s home’ – these are Vinnytsia, Donetsk, Kyiv, Luhansk, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Khmelnytskyi and Chernihiv oblasts. These are the institutions where transformation has not yet taken place,” Honchar noted.

In some of these regions, reform is either underway or about to begin. In others, however, the process has not moved forward. “Despite the existence of governmental acts and a Ukrainian law that says everything should have already started and progressed,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, four former children’s homes – in Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Kyiv – have already been merged with regional children’s hospitals. In addition, 14 palliative care and rehabilitation centers have been established in 12 oblasts.

According to Honchar, there are currently 918 children in these institutions. “The total number of beds, which represents the potential capacity, is 2,503. 918 children are staying there. This number is constantly decreasing, but children are still living in children’s homes,” he explained.

Additionally, 219 children in need of special care have been evacuated outside Ukraine to various countries.

“Overall, the Ministry of Health fully supports the idea of deinstitutionalization, and we are ready to do everything on our part to ensure that every child finds a family,” the Ministry representative concluded.

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