Pilot Project Offers Temporary Respite Care for Families
Starting July 1, Kyiv will roll out a pilot program providing short-term respite care for parents of children with disabilities. Operating out of the city’s social services center in Pushcha-Vodytsia, this initiative functions as a dedicated camp where children can stay for three to thirty days per year, giving parents or guardians a much-needed break.
Eligibility and Activities
In its initial phase, the program is open to families raising children aged nine to fourteen. Each session will accommodate up to twelve participants at a time. Based on demand, officials plan to expand the program to serve more families in the future.
This initiative aims to support parents who have spent years in a cycle of nonstop caregiving. According to Maryna Khonda, the project was specifically designed to assist families raising children with special needs.
What does the camp include? Participants will receive:
- Supervision and personal assistance;
- Help with daily activities;
- Recreational activities and developmental programs;
- Maintenance of their usual daily routine;
- Access to medical and social services as needed.
To register, families must submit a set of documents. Required personal documents include:
- A written application;
- Passport of a parent or legal representative;
- The child’s birth certificate or ID card;
- Tax identification numbers for both the applicant and the child;
- An internally displaced person (IDP) certificate, if applicable;
- Guardianship documentation, if the applicant is not the biological parent.
Medical documentation is also mandatory:
- A copy of the child’s disability medical certificate;
- An individual rehabilitation plan from a medical commission;
- A medical history extract (Form 027/o);
- A certificate confirming no contraindications for group stays;
- A certificate of epidemiological environment, valid for only three days.
Applications can be submitted in person at the Kyiv City Center for Social Services, located at 32/11 Mykhaila Kotelnikova Street. For inquiries, parents can call 044-500-75-82 or 044-450-91-66.
This temporary respite care service has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for families of children with disabilities, offering them a chance to rest and recharge. Starting as a pilot, the project is tailored to the needs of these families and could lay the groundwork for expanding social services in this area.
For context, Kyiv’s initiative is part of a broader effort to address the lack of specialized support services for families raising children with disabilities in Ukraine. The program’s camp-based model is a novel approach in the region, aiming to combine professional care with a safe, engaging environment for children.