UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Visits Kyiv Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Disabilities During First Official Visit to Ukraine

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, visited the Kyiv City Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Disabilities during her first official visit to Ukraine since taking office. She was accompanied by the Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, Denys Uliutin.

During the visit, the delegation learned about the Centre’s work supporting more than 1,800 children annually through comprehensive rehabilitation services. The Centre provides physical, psychological, educational and social rehabilitation, while also offering extensive support to families raising children with disabilities or developmental risks. The facility incorporates modern rehabilitation technologies, early intervention services, alternative communication methods, robotic-assisted rehabilitation and case-management approaches. It also hosts a UNICEF-supported “Spilno” child-friendly space and serves as a training hub for rehabilitation professionals from across Ukraine.

Minister Uliutin thanked the United Kingdom for its continued support of Ukraine and stressed that investing in children and families is both a social imperative and a long-term economic investment. “Supporting children is an investment in Ukraine’s future human capital. Every child who receives timely support today gains greater opportunities for education, employment, independent living and full participation in society tomorrow,” he said.

The visit also included discussions about SPIRIT (Social Protection for Inclusion, Resilience, Innovation and Transformation), the USD 880 million joint initiative between Ukraine and the World Bank supported by international partners, including the United Kingdom. According to Minister Uliutin, SPIRIT demonstrates how international support can function as an investment rather than traditional aid – helping Ukraine address immediate wartime needs while building stronger institutions for the future.

The programme supports the modernization of social assistance, the development of a modern disability and rehabilitation system, and the expansion of community-based social services across the country. “For Ukraine, recovery is not just rebuilding infrastructure, it’s also creating the conditions for people to live, work and raise families in Ukraine. That is why we see social recovery as one of the foundations of economic recovery,” Minister Uliutin noted.

He emphasized that Ukraine is transforming its social protection system to focus on people’s actual needs, helping them regain self-reliance, participate in the labour market where possible, support their families and contribute to their communities.

Concluding the visit, Minister Uliutin expressed gratitude to the United Kingdom for its strategic partnership and long-term commitment to Ukraine’s recovery. “The United Kingdom is helping us maintain social protection today while building systems that will serve Ukraine for decades to come. This partnership is an investment in stronger institutions, stronger human capital and a more resilient Ukraine,” he said.

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