The First Lady took part in the international dialogue on the child care and support system reform within the framework of the International Ministerial Social Policy Summit in Kyiv.
In her video address to the participants of the event, Olena Zelenska emphasized that the reform of the child care and support system is about creating a better Ukrainian society, where every child has a family and warmth.
"And this means more care and security for our entire society, for the entire country. Therefore, this reform addresses all of us. Everything related to children has always been important for Ukraine, but in the years of the invasion, it has become strategic just like defense. And it’s not only because, as they say, ‘children are our future,’ but because they are our present," the First Lady of Ukraine said.
At the event, the Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Ukraine Munir Mammadzade signed an agreement to support the reform of the child care system. In this way, international partners demonstrated their willingness to continue providing support in this area.
The First Lady also called on community representatives to get involved in the development of family-based care, citing the practice of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, which is building new homes for large foster families to replace destroyed ones.
"We need more people who are ready to support and adopt. And this requires their own confidence in their lives — their housing, their support from the state. It is impossible to postpone childhood. Therefore, we should not choose. Our answer is both saving lives and improving them at the same time," she said.
Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, also spoke at the meeting. She talked about the projects of the Foundation aimed at supporting the development of family-based care, namely large foster families. Among other things, she mentioned the construction of new houses for large foster families who lost their homes due to the war, and the intention to continue the Address of Childhood project: 10 more houses are planned to be built this year.
The Foundation is ready to join new initiatives and strategic solutions that will help every child in Ukraine find a family.