Ukraine seeks to return displaced orphans from abroad – minister

Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Currently, about 3,000 children from care institutions remain abroad. Their stay is financed by our international partners in host countries. However, it is a priority for us to start working now to place these children in family-type education facilities," she said.

Zholnovych noted that while abroad, these children stay in good conditions, but their lives are "frozen". She emphasized that basic decision-making, boundary-building, financial planning and self-care skills are learned in a family.

She also informed that before the big war there were 65,000 children with the status of orphans or those deprived of parental care. Today, according to the minister, there are about 67,000 children with such statuses.

"We must understand that there are always children who end up in the care system for various reasons – parents do not take good care of them or give them up because of disability. Up to 8,000 such children every year... But then some of them return home, after appropriate work has been done with their parents, and some are taken away by relatives. Out of 67,000 children, the vast majority are in the care of relatives. Only 5,500 children who have this status live in care facilities," she said.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Ministry of Reintegration said a working group consisting of representatives from central executive bodies, regional military administrations, public and international organizations will develop a plan for the return of children evacuated from care institutions and out of Ukraine in the wake of Russian aggression.