Ukrainian NGOs appealed to international sponsors not to finance the reconstruction of children’s boarding schools

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Ukrainian public organizations appealed to international partners, which allocate funds for the restoration of Ukraine, with a request not to finance the reconstruction of boarding schools intended for the 24-hour stay of children. Activists note that this practice of raising children is dangerous. And over 80 years of research have shown that children who grow up in boarding schools are more likely to have delayed cognitive and physical development, and they also have problems with the law. According to the applicants, it has been scientifically proven that boarding school students are prone to mental health problems. Only less than 10% of graduates of such institutions successfully socialize after leaving its borders. “Both during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more than 80% of children from residential institutions returned home. This once again proves the fact that there is no need for the existence of boarding schools,” the NGO said in a statement. Photo: photographee.eu/Depositphotos They also add that research conducted in 2015 indicated that almost 53% of boarding schools in Ukraine were built for children with disabilities. Activists were concerned by the report – “Second rapid assessment of damages and needs of Ukraine February 24, 2022 – February 24, 2023”. It was prepared by the World Bank together with the European Union, the United Nations and the Government of Ukraine. As of December 2022, the needs for the reconstruction of residential facilities for the elderly and persons with disabilities, children were estimated at EUR 117.29 million. The report also states that 1.01 million euros will be allocated to help with the reconstruction of institutional facilities. According to public organizations, before the war, Ukraine had one of the highest levels of children living in boarding schools in the world. More than 90% of these children had at least one parent, and only 8% are orphans or children deprived of parental care and care. “This trend shows that the Ukrainian state should first of all direct its efforts to the development of infrastructure to support families with children, the creation of alternative forms of family care and education,” the activists emphasize in the statement. According to them, as an alternative to boarding schools, it is important to implement, develop and make available inclusive services in Ukraine. The statement with a request to prevent the allocation of funds from international partners for the reconstruction of boarding schools was signed by: director of the “Lumos” Foundation in Ukraine, Halyna Bulat; Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights; Daria Kasyanova, national program director of MBO BF; “SOS Children’s Towns” Ukraine, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the UMPD, Chairman of the Board of the NGO “Social Synergy” Marianna Onufrik; Halyna Postoliuk, executive director of the “Hope and Housing for Children” BO; national director of the MBO BF “SOS Children’s Town” Ukraine Serhiy Lukashov; Galina Skipalska, executive director of the “Ukrainian Public Health Foundation” IBF; Tetyana Basyuk, executive director of the Ukrainian Children’s Welfare Foundation; Vasylyna Dybailo, director of the IBO “Partnership for Every Child”; Maryana Kashchak, director of the “Ukrainian Educational Platform” Charitable Organization; president of the NGO “League of Social Workers of Ukraine”, candidate of pedagogical sciences, honored social worker Svitlana Tolstoukhova; Director of the International Public Organization “International Center for Development and Leadership” Oleg Shelashskyi; Yevgenia Tkachenko, president of the All-Ukrainian public organization “Magnolia”; Anastasia Zolotova, executive director of the “Emmaus” public organization; Oksana Vereshko, head of the board of the NGO “Dnipro League of Social Workers”; Olga Kosse, head of the board of the NGO “Responsible Citizens”; executive director of the NGO “All-Ukrainian Community Center “Volunteer” Tetyana Zhuravel; president of the BO “Charitable Fund “Volunteers: Adults-Children” Victoria Tyshchenko; Volodymyr Shegda, chairman of the board of the NGO “RK na Prykarpattia”; Nataliya Zuyeva, head of the “Klas” NGO; Lyudmila Kharchenko, director of the “Luhansk Regional Branch” of the “MBO” BF “SOS Children’s Town”; head of the board of the Alliance “Ukraine without orphans” Denys Poshelok Inna Bilous; Executive Director of BF “Manifest Miru” Inna Bilous; executive director of BF “Yeleon” Roman Maistrenko; director of the BF “Let your heart beat” Nataliya Nagorna; Valentina Bazylevych, director of the BMRGO of the NRC “Seeds of Hope”; executive director of NGO “Ray of Love” Authorized person of BF “Time of care” Head of NGO “City Institute” Tetyana Vasylenko; director of BO BF “Vidvazhni” Director of NGO “Autism-Zhytomyr” Head of NGO “Children of the Sun” Snizhana Kisishvili. We will remind you that in 2020, UNICEF, together with the Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights, checked the conditions in more than 4 thousand families whose children studied in boarding schools and found that 10% of them managed to return home, after solving elementary problems – buying a table or ceiling in the roof of the house. Read also: Got into a boarding school. Three children’s lives that could have turned out differently

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