Communities in eastern Ukraine will improve social services for families with children

Сommunities of Donetsk and Luhansk regions have declared their willingness to work on changes in the social sphere for children and their families. This week, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Heads of 10 Communities and the Ukrainian Child Rights Network signed memorandums of cooperation under the project “Jointly. Social Services for Families in the Communities”, which aims to organize an effective system of social services in communities in eastern Ukraine.

Together with the communities, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and five powerful non-governmental organizations, members of the Network, will implement the project in communities. Funds for the implementation of the project in eastern Ukraine were allocated by the German government through the German Development Bank (KfW)

By participating in the project, communities will be able to identify the social services needed by the residents, train social work professionals, social service planning and budgeting specialists, introduce new and develop existing services, and establish cooperation between agencies responsible for the well-being of children. In addition, UNICEF will create a social center in each of the target communities, the services of which will be designed to meet the needs of the residents of that community.

In the Memorandum, communities, in their turn, are committed to contributing to the effective implementation of these plans and to ensuring the viability of newly established social service centers through local budget funding once the project is completed.

During the project, about 100,000 community residents will receive social services of the new sample. These are families with children and young people, including IDP families, low-income families and children with a disability.

The Ukrainian Child Rights Network participates in the project in the framework of its main mission – promoting the best interests of the child in the formulation of public policy through advocacy, lobbying for reforms of the social services system, decentralization, developing a national monitoring system and representing the interests of children and families in public authorities . The development of community-based social services for the Network and its members is a key strategic goal that is important in building a child rights protection system.

The project is implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Consortium of Partner Organizations with the financial support of the German Government and the German Development Bank (KfW).

The project is implementing by the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, SOS Children’s Village, Partnership for Every Child, Social Synergy, Hope and homes for children, and Mariupol Youth Union.

The project involves 12 communities of Donetsk (Bakhmutska, Soledarska, Siverska, Druzhkovka city, Mykolayivska, Mariupol city and prospective Sartanska communities) and Luhansk (Bilovodska, Novopskovska, Chmyrivska and Bilokurakynska communities) regions.