Russia's war leaves over 13,000 Ukrainian children orphaned

Ukraine's Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych spoke about this during the national telethon.

"Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, more than 13,000 children have been granted the status of an orphan or a child deprived of parental care. These are children who have been orphaned in various ways or, for example, whose parents are in captivity or in a Russian prison," Zholnovych said.

She added that at least 4,000 children in Ukraine are left without parental care every year.

According to the minister, such children are usually placed in orphanages or shelters until the guardianship authority determines their legal status. However, instead of staying in special institutions, there is an alternative - living with relatives (grandparents, aunts, etc.).

Zholnovych notes that previously, the state did not provide child support payments to relatives during the period of determining this status, which can take up to six months. Now this will change.

"The government has recently decided to provide assistance to children temporarily deprived of parental care," emphasized the Minister of Social Policy.

• As a reminder, the Cabinet of Ministers recently adopted amendments to the regulatory framework that simplify the process of adoption and placement of orphans and children deprived of parental care with new families.