Three out of four orphans and children deprived of parental care in Ukraine live in families of guardians, or more than 45,000 children, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine reported on Friday.
“This form of family care is the most common in Ukraine. It is usually arranged by relatives or friends of the child. The difference between guardianship and custody is that guardianship is established over children under 14 years of age, and custody is established over children from 14 to 18 years of age,” the statement said.
The Ministry emphasizes that if a child is left without parental care, there is no need to wait for the child to be granted orphan status or deprived of parental care to take him or her into a family. “Relatives or friends can use the mechanism of temporary placement and immediately take the child to their homes. Then they can apply for child status and guardianship,” the agency said.
During a full-scale war, the procedure for establishing guardianship or custody was simplified for relatives. “During martial law, a relative or godparent who baptized a child before he or she was left without parents must submit with the application: a copy of the passport, documents confirming family ties with the child, a certificate from a narcologist and psychiatrist, a certificate of presence/absence of a criminal record,” the agency said.
It is also emphasized that guardianship is not equal to adoption. “Adoption is a family for a child forever, and the rights of an adopted child are equal to the rights of a biological child,” the statement said.
According to the State Service for Children’s Affairs Facebook page, adoption during martial law is also possible.
“But, of course, there are exceptions. In particular, those with health problems (including mental health), alcohol and drug addiction, who do not have a permanent place of residence and permanent income, and who have a criminal history cannot adopt a child. The full list is set out in Article 212 of the Family Code of Ukraine. The presence of at least one of the factors in the wife or husband may cause a refusal to adopt,” the statement said.
In addition, the adopter must be over 21 years old. An exception is possible only for a relative of the child.
“First and foremost, we must take into account the rights and needs of the child who may be adopted. The principle of child-centeredness is fundamental in our work. That is why local services for children thoroughly check the documents of candidates for adoptive parents to make sure they can be admitted to the adoption process,” said Petro Dobromilsky, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Children.
