A Meeting of UNICEF Partner Organizations Held in Kharkiv

The NGO “Responsible Citizens,” as a partner of the UNICEF Representation in Ukraine, was invited to participate in a special event at the Yermilov Center.

“This meeting marked a critical phase for professional discussions on the results achieved by representatives of the public sector working in the field of developing a system of safe and caring child care in Ukraine. UNICEF’s initiative to hold such an in-person meeting allows all partners to better understand what has been accomplished, the tools that led to success, and how to collaboratively build further effective work,” said Olga Kosse, Head of the Board of the NGO “Responsible Citizens.”

The event also saw participation from the heads of the Social Protection Department of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, the Head of the Children’s Service of the Kharkiv Region, directors of the Center for Social Services, the Department of Health, and the Department of Education.

UNICEF specialists initiated discussions on the stages of implementing the Better Care for Children reform, involving representatives from government bodies and leaders of Ukrainian humanitarian organizations.

This reform was developed by the UNICEF Representation to establish effective principles for protecting the most vulnerable populations currently suffering from the humanitarian crisis.

“We had the opportunity to provide our colleagues with comprehensive information on the effectiveness of our efforts in creating a network of Child-Friendly Spaces in four regions in the East. Since last year, the NGO “Responsible Citizens” has opened 28 such spaces, where families can receive comprehensive services. The impact of this project on community resilience and sustainability is confirmed by our data. To date, over 55,000 children have been supported, with an additional 36,000 people receiving assistance from our mobile teams working in frontline and de-occupied areas,” emphasized Olga Kosse.

Additionally, there was an opportunity to thoroughly analyze the results of interactions with communities in the process of creating Resilience Centers together with government representatives.

The joint project of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” and the UNICEF Representation continues to grow. The expansion of the network of Child-Friendly Spaces is planned for this fall.