Increased birth payments – part of a comprehensive support package for families with children

The government has approved a draft law aimed at introducing a broad package of comprehensive and inclusive support for Ukrainian families with children.

The draft law was developed by the Ministry of Social Policy in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Education and Science as part of the implementation of the Demographic Development Strategy until 2040.

The bill seeks to create conditions for increasing birth rates and harmoniously combining parenthood with professional activities. It envisions continuous state support for families—from the stage of family planning until the child's independence—in medical, social, and educational spheres.

In particular, the draft law provides for:

• Creating more comfortable childcare conditions (e.g., by covering the cost of childcare services for children aged 1 to 3);
• Substantially increasing payments for families with children;
• Additional support for families raising children with disabilities.

A special focus of the bill is on supporting women who give birth without prior professional experience. According to the Ministry of Social Policy, in 2024, such women accounted for 44% of all mothers giving birth. Unfortunately, the current social support system provides almost no assistance for these women and their children during maternity leave.

"We are moving from fragmented, unsystematic support to a holistic approach where the state supports families with children from the planning stage until the child becomes independent. Every child in Ukraine is extremely important to us. We thank every family that has taken the courageous step of having and raising children in our country, and as the government, we will do everything to ensure these families feel supported," noted Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The draft law provides for increases in several "child-related" payments, including:

During pregnancy, childbirth, and after birth:

• One-time payment for women who give birth increased to UAH 50,000 (currently UAH 10,320);
• Increased assistance for uninsured individuals—UAH 7,000 monthly (currently 25% of the subsistence minimum, or UAH 757 per month);
• Continuation of the "Baby Package"—parents of newborns will continue to receive either the in-kind "Baby Package" or a monetary compensation of UAH 7,689.

During childcare:

• Assistance for childcare until the child reaches 1 year of age, available to both insured and uninsured individuals;
• Introduction of the "YeYasla" program to cover childcare services after the child turns 1 year old, allowing parents to choose between staying home until the child is 3 or returning to work while the state pays for childcare services (UAH 8,000 in targeted funds);
• If a mother (or father) chooses to care for the child until 3 years of age, social security contributions (SSC) will continue to be paid for them throughout this period.

Upon school enrollment:

"School Starter Kit" program—financial assistance of UAH 5,000 for purchasing school supplies, children's clothing, and footwear.

Additional support tools are proposed for families raising children with disabilities. Beyond general payments and services, they will have access to:

Early intervention services;

Enhanced "YeYasla" childcare assistance (up to UAH 16,000);

Comprehensive development and care services for children with disabilities;

Child assistant services or social support during inclusive education;

Rehabilitation measures, etc.

"Our goal was to develop a truly systemic and all-encompassing support system. It won’t be limited to just increasing payments, though that tool is also necessary. For Ukrainian families to want to live in Ukraine, to return here from abroad, they must be confident that the state will help them during pregnancy, support them after the baby is born, enable parents to work and raise their child, and, if needed, not leave them alone with a child requiring additional care," emphasized Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych.

The draft law proposes that the Cabinet of Ministers set the amounts for certain payments to ensure greater flexibility in responding to families' needs.

Under the general package developed by the government, the total support per family from birth until the child reaches 18 years of age will amount to at least UAH 1.08 million (at current prices).

These funds will be allocated to prenatal and postnatal support, preschool support, school support, and assistance for students in vocational schools and colleges.

Note that this is only the social component of the overall support package. In full, it will include comprehensive medical support (from family planning to the child’s adulthood) as well as all-around educational support.

For more details on the comprehensive state support for families with children, see the infographic.

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