Who is eligible for 'Child of War' status in 2026: a list of categories
Зміст
- Procedure for granting the status of a child affected by hostilities
- Who grants the status of a child affected by hostilities and armed conflict
- Persons authorised to submit documents for the recognition of 'child of war' status
- List of documents required to apply for the status of a child of war
- Скільки очікувати рішення
Procedure for granting the status of a child affected by hostilities
The procedure for granting such status is regulated by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 268 of 5 April 2017.
On 1 September 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted amendments to the procedure for granting the status of a child affected by military operations and armed conflicts.
The list of grounds for obtaining this status has been expanded. It now includes:
- injury, concussion or disability;
- physical, sexual or psychological violence;
- abduction, unlawful detention or captivity;
- deportation or forced displacement;
- conscription into military units;
- the death or disappearance of one or both parents;
- deprivation of parental care due to military operations or armed conflicts.
The consequences of hostilities and armed conflicts for a child may include one, several or all of these circumstances. At the same time, when granting a child status, the applicant identifies the circumstance that has had the most significant negative impact on the child’s health and development.
Who grants the status of a child affected by hostilities and armed conflict
Previously, decisions on granting this status were made exclusively by the guardianship authorities in the child’s place of residence.
Now it can also be granted at the place of application or identification – in particular through local authorities and local government bodies.
Persons authorised to submit documents for the purpose of obtaining
- the child’s legal representative:
- the child themselves (from the age of 14);
- a representative of the guardianship and custody authority (if the child is travelling unaccompanied by their parents or guardians);
- the child’s relatives (grandmother, grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandfather, aunt, uncle, adult brother or sister, stepfather, stepmother).
List of documents to be submitted to apply for status
An application for status, consent to the processing of personal data and copies of the following documents must be submitted to the Child Services Department:
- the child’s birth certificate or another document proving the child’s identity;
- a document confirming the applicant’s identity;
- a document confirming the authority of the child’s legal representative (if the child is permanently resident in or staying at a healthcare facility, educational institution or other children’s facility – a document confirming the child’s stay at such a facility) or the family relationship between the child and the applicant;
- a certificate confirming the child’s registration as an internally displaced person (if available);
- a Ukrainian passport in booklet form (if available);
- a Ukrainian passport or a Ukrainian passport for travel abroad in the form of an e-passport or an e-passport for travel abroad (if available);
- an extract from the local community register (if available).
In 2026, the list of required documents was expanded – these may include medical certificates, expert reports, extracts from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations, court decisions, documents regarding the death or disappearance of parents, confirmation of guardianship, certificates from social services, etc.
How long to wait for a decision
The processing time for a decision to grant or refuse status is 30 calendar days. If the decision is negative, it can be appealed in court.
Applications can be submitted via the Dity system. Child welfare authorities will automatically receive the necessary information from state registers.
As a reminder, ThePublic previously reported that the government is preparing to launch the “Houses in the Village” programme for internally displaced persons. Local communities will be able to purchase vacant houses in rural areas and provide them to displaced persons on social rental terms.
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