Developing services which support families

• Family social services are a platform for working with vulnerable families with the aim of reducing the risk of children being placed into institutional care.
  
  Family support workers can also provide social support to foster families and family-type homes; support individual care planning and review in residential care institutions; provide support to young people leaving care and play a key role in implementing child protection procedures. 
   

Supporting the development of alternatives to large-scale residential care

• When it is not possible for a child to grow up with their own parents, we believe that the best alternatives for children are provided in a family environment where children receive individual care and attention (e.g. in a foster family or family-type home).
  
  In all its projects EveryChild in Ukraine promotes a coordinated approach to developing alternative forms of care.

The effective establishment of alternative placements is possible only alongside the reform of the existing childcare system and the development of relevant infrastructure.

Capacity building for governmental bodies, local communities and other partners

• The Office of EveryChild in Ukraine is actively involved in the development of long-term national and regional programmes targeted at improving childcare services and reducing the number of children placed in state care.
  
  An important step in this direction is the Comprehensive Programme for Improving Children's Services in Kyiv oblast, developed in conjunction with Kyiv oblast administration and other authorities.

Promoting inter-sectoral cooperation

• Solving complex issues in order to meet the needs of children is only possible if all government departments responsible for the welfare of children work together.
  
  Based on the experience of many other countries, EveryChild in Ukraine actively promotes interdepartmental cooperation at all levels.

Trainings

• Training guaranees the high quality of services provided.  Training courses and materials have been developed to train social workers, heads of relevant departments and agencies, as well as for preparing trainers in child protection, foster family support and multi-agency cooperation.

Publications

• Publishing manuals and information materials, particularly analysis and review of social services management in the United Kingdom is another important area of activity.
  
  The manual ‘Social Services for Families: Developing New Approaches in Ukraine' gives an overview of the theoretical and practical aspects of social work with children and families and presents the experience of Ukrainian family support services in preventing institutionalisation of children.
  
  In order to raise public awareness about childcare reform, EveryChild in Ukraine has started issuing a quarterly newsletter which covers various aspects of social work with children and families in crisis.