Child and family support policy in Ukraine: implementation and challenges during the war

The ongoing war in Ukraine negatively impacts the lives of families with children and complicates the implementation of policies to support them. This study examines the state and challenges of family and child support policy during wartime. Despite difficulties, most state benefits, privileges, and services for families with children in Ukraine continue to be provided, largely thanks to international assistance. Key tools of children and family support include the childbirth grant, the "Baby Package" program, the municipal nanny service, payments to families with three or more children, single parents, and families caring for a child with a disability. However, the unchanged amount of benefits over a long period, and consequently their significant decrease in real terms, the reduction in the list of families eligible for benefits, and the cancellation of some benefits (due to the war) lead to the decreased effectiveness of the policy. The war has also caused organizational challenges related to large-scale displacement of families, destruction of service centres and infrastructure in general, a reduction in the number of employees in service institutions, and difficulties in providing services due to lack of electricity, shelling, etc. It necessitates accelerating the digitalization of child and family support services to make the system more flexible. During wartime, the role of public organizations in supporting families has increased. Their assistance is targeted and takes into account the specific needs of territories (particularly front-line areas). However, the lack of coordination between NGOs, irregular assistance, and insufficient scale of coverage for needs reduces the effectiveness of such family support.