First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the presentation of the Coordination Center for the Development of Family Upbringing and Child Care established on the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife with the support of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The Center was established to ensure coordination of actions of central and local executive authorities, local governments, enterprises, institutions and organizations in preparing and conducting activities of national importance in order to quickly and effectively develop and implement the National Plan for Family Upbringing And Child Care in Ukraine and programs for the development of family forms of upbringing.
The Coordination Center is supported by the European Union and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine.
"There are 1310 large foster families in our country. These are parents who, often having children of their own, take in five to ten more children. And so it goes on for years: bringing one generation into the world, they give family warmth to new children. Every child in Ukraine should have a priceless sense of family. That is why Ukraine has pledged to move to family-based forms of upbringing. It is the moral duty of the state to support these children right now, to give them the warmth they deserve," the President's wife said.
Supporting family forms of upbringing, namely large foster families, is one of the priorities of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
"We provide the most necessary things, gadgets for studying, materials for home repairs. During personal communication with each family, we learn about their urgent needs. At present, these include almost everything from household items to transportation and housing for those who have nowhere else to go. That is why we are currently building new housing for 14 such families. The Foundation already has a lot of experience, and we are happy to be of service! We are ready to support the Coordination Center," Olena Zelenska said during the event.
The First Lady wished success to the center's team, representatives of ministries and agencies that have to implement the transition to the family forms of upbringing in the country.
"I wish you success. And it largely depends on cooperation. It is the same as with the defense of the country: success will come only if many institutions - in this case, ministries and agencies - work together," she said.
The European Union representative Fernando Fonseca and UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Regina De Dominicis spoke about supporting the transformation of institutions in Ukraine.
Iryna Tuliakova, Head of the Coordination Center for the Development of Family Upbringing and Child Care, presented the vision and plan of the center's activities. She emphasized that the government of Ukraine, international partners and other organizations must now work in a coordinated manner for the best interests of children.
"The best interests of children are a priority for Ukraine. It is important for us to provide comprehensive support for the reform, which will include the development and implementation of the National Plan for Family Upbringing and Child Care in Ukraine. The team of the Coordination Center together with all authorities, public organizations, international partners and experts is preparing it," said Iryna Tuliakova.
The role of key ministries in the transformation of the care system and the development of the family forms of upbringing was described by Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy, Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science, Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health, Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor - Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, and Iuliia Sokolovska, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office.
Viktor Hradivskyi, Deputy Head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration, shared the experience of communities in supporting the family forms of upbringing, and Kyrylo Nevdokha, Head of the National Office of Children and Youth "DiiMo", spoke about the views of children and youth on the transformation of the care system.
For her part, Jin Choi, Chief of the Child Protection Section of the UN Children's Fund, informed about the global program of better care implemented by UNICEF.