State Support: The School Student's Package
Preparing a child for school can put real pressure on a household budget, and Ukrainian families with first-graders now have renewed access to a government payment designed to help cover that cost. The "School Student's Package" benefit gives eligible families UAH 5,000 to spend on clothing, shoes, and school supplies. The programme was developed by the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity in cooperation with other state bodies, and has been implemented with the support of the President of Ukraine.
Institutional Involvement and International Backing
A number of Ukrainian institutions played a role in shaping the initiative:
- Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and Diia
- Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- Pension Fund of Ukraine
Support has also come from international partners. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Ukraine) backs the project through the "Diia Support Project," funded by Sweden. Additional backing comes from the Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE — "Decentralization for the Development of Democratic Education" — which is implemented by a consortium comprising the civil society organisation DOCCU and the Zurich University of Teacher Education, with Swiss funding.
The revival of the "School Student's Package" highlights the Ukrainian government's broader effort to support families with children during a difficult economic period. The payment can ease the financial burden on parents getting children ready for school and help improve access to essential learning materials. International involvement in the programme also underscores the value of collaboration between government bodies and global organisations in advancing Ukraine's social policy.