Ukraine is set to implement the European Child Guarantee, as discussed during the forum “European Child Guarantee: Preparing for Implementation in Ukraine,” held in Kyiv on 24 July. The event brought together representatives from the Government, communities, international partners, and civil society. This initiative will consolidate existing national child protection policies into a unified European framework, strengthening Ukraine’s efforts to combat child poverty, social exclusion, and unequal access to opportunities.
The European Child Guarantee (ECG) is an EU initiative aimed at tackling child poverty and social exclusion by ensuring equal and free access to key services. It primarily targets the most vulnerable children and covers five key areas: early childhood education and care, healthcare, healthy nutrition, adequate housing, and inclusive education.
“When Europe speaks of a ‘child’s life,’ it refers to well-being, opportunities, and development. In Ukraine today, we often mean physical survival. When Europe talks about the ‘future,’ it envisions long-term prospects. For us, it sometimes narrows to ‘surviving until tomorrow.’ This is the reality shaped by russia’s invasion, with children being its most vulnerable victims,” said Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska.
As a candidate country for EU membership, Ukraine has expressed its readiness to adopt the European Child Guarantee initiative. This decision aligns with its strategic course towards European integration and reflects a consistent political commitment to building a child-centric state policy.
“For over three years, russia’s full-scale war has had profound consequences for Ukrainian children, with violations of their fundamental rights to safety, education, development, and healthcare at the forefront. In this context, implementing the European Child Guarantee is critically important – not only as a response to the humanitarian crisis but also as a structural component of our journey towards EU membership. It is a tool to ensure every child has access to quality education, healthcare, and nutrition, to build a service-oriented state with children at the core of its policies, and to foster inter-agency cooperation aligned with key EU principles,” said Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
Implementing the ECG in Ukraine is not only part of internal reforms but also a clear signal to the European Union of Ukraine’s commitment to shared values.
Katarína Mathernová, EU Ambassador to Ukraine, stated that Ukraine had an opportunity to prioritise children in its recovery process, both in rebuilding the country and advancing towards EU membership. She explained that the European Child Guarantee offered practical tools to support families affected by the war, address poverty, and strengthen child protection systems. She further noted that by aligning national reforms, including the child care and support system, with this approach and ensuring sufficient investment and coordination, Ukraine could create a more inclusive and resilient future where every child could thrive.
Ukraine will implement the ECG not as a standalone project but as an integrated component of existing strategies in child rights protection, education, healthcare, social policy, inclusion, and support for families with children. This includes reforms in the child care and support system, school nutrition, the expansion of inclusive education networks, the creation of barrier-free environments, and the development of community-level services. The European Child Guarantee unites these efforts into a single policy framework aligned with EU standards, enhancing national priorities in child protection.
Munir Mammadzade, Head of the UNICEF Representation in Ukraine, expressed approval of Ukraine’s commitment to a comprehensive government approach that integrates existing initiatives into an effective and inclusive child policy, consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and EU standards. He stated that implementing the European Child Guarantee, with support from EU institutions and member states, would be crucial in safeguarding the rights of every child, particularly those from the most vulnerable groups. He also highlighted that they greatly valued the clear prioritisation of this issue within the context of Ukraine’s EU accession and the collaborative efforts to ensure no child is overlooked.
The Forum presented the core principles of the European Child Guarantee, the experiences of EU member states and candidate countries, and the specifics of adapting the initiative to Ukraine’s realities. Participants discussed strategic decisions to ensure the continuity of ongoing reforms while aligning sectoral policies within the ECG framework. Particular attention was given to child protection practices already implemented in Ukrainian communities, which have the potential for scaling up.
Ukraine’s adoption of the European Child Guarantee is part of its broader European integration process and aligns with commitments within the EU accession track by 2030. The next step will be the development of a framework National Plan for ECG implementation – a document that will consolidate existing strategic decisions, define additional targeted measures and progress indicators, and ensure the systematic integration of guarantees into state child policies.
Background
The Forum was organised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine, the German state development bank KfW, the European Union, the NGO UA Experts, and the Coordination Centre for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development.