Ms. Yana is an IDP from Mariupol. In the spring of 2022, the war forced her family to leave their hometown and move to Rivne. In the new city, Yana and her husband started volunteering almost immediately and later found jobs. However, as parents of young children, they had a lot on their plate. In addition, they had to take care of their pets, which they had taken from Mariupol: dogs, a cat, and parrots.
In the spring of 2024, a daughter was born to their family. The combination of caring for a newborn and working became a serious challenge for the family. A real salvation was the “municipal nanny” program, which became available to IDPs in July 2024 thanks to the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution No. 664.
“Regarding the availability of the ‘municipal nanny’ service: in fact, everything is quite easy and quick to arrange, if you understand it. I am glad that it is possible to use the services of partial compensation of municipal nanny payments, it gives me the opportunity to continue working,” says Ms. Yana.
Thanks to the municipal nanny program, IDP families can combine work and childcare. In Rivne, 9 IDPs have used this service within two months of the relevant resolution coming into force. This opens up new opportunities for internally displaced persons and allows them to solve important issues.
As a reminder, the lawyers of the Uniting for Action program have successfully advocated for the expansion of the “municipal nanny” service for IDPs. This is an important step towards providing parents with employment opportunities and integration in new communities, as well as creating appropriate conditions for the care and development of children.
This activity was made possible within the framework of the “Uniting for Action” program, implemented by the international organization IREX together with the Ukrainian charitable foundation Stabilization Support Services and with the support of the US Department of State.The contents are the sole responsibility of the Ukrainian Charitable Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and do not necessarily reflect the views of IREX and the U.S. Department of State.