Ukraine: Municipal Nanny Programme — legal basis, challenges and development prospects

Executive summary

On May 30, 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the CMU) adopted the State Social Programme “National Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child” for the period up to 2021. Its main goal was to improve the system of interagency cooperation in the field of childhood and ensure proper protection of children’s rights in accordance with international standards, as well as the priorities of the Council of Europe’s Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021).

In the same context, the Government adopted Decree No. 427 dated May 30, 2018 “Some Issues of Implementation of the Pilot Project on Social Protection of Families with Children and Support for the Development of Responsible Parenthood”.

Among the innovative provisions of the programme is the introduction of financial support for families using nanny services. In accordance with the Government’s decision, starting from January 1, 2019, Ukraine officially introduced the concept of a “municipal nanny”, which became a new mechanism for supporting families with children with the participation of local authorities.

Thus, CMU Decree No. 68 dated January 30, 2019 approved the “Procedure for Reimbursement of Childcare Costs for a Child Under Three Years of Age “Municipal Nanny”. Since its launch, the mechanism for implementing the programme has been amended several times: the terms and conditions for obtaining compensation, the list of recipients and the procedures for submitting documents were clarified.

The last significant changes took place on June 07, 2024, when the CMU Decree No. 664 extended the Procedure to cover the period of martial law and three months after its termination, as well as expanded the range of recipients of the service.

In particular, internally displaced persons (hereinafter referred to as IDPs) and families with children living in settlements where it is impossible to ensure the functioning of preschool education institutions under martial law or an emergency situation were granted the right to compensation.

Such transformations demonstrate the state’s desire to adapt social policy instruments to the real needs of society. At the same time, they highlight the need for a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness and accessibility of the programme to assess whether it is truly fulfilling its social mission.

The purpose of this research is to:

• analyse the current legislation governing the municipal nanny programme;
• assess the state of its practical implementation and the effectiveness of the use of services by different categories of the population;
• find ways to improve the mechanism of the programme;
• provide recommendations for the humanitarian sector and the Government of Ukraine to improve the effectiveness of state policy in the field of social protection of families with children and strengthen the culture of responsible parenthood.