The Technical Guidance for Oblast-Level Better Care Start-up outlines how to implement Ukraine’s Better Care programme at the regional level, in line with the National Strategy for Ensuring the Right of Every Child to Grow up in a Family Environment (2024–2028). Developed by UNICEF Ukraine and Maestral International, it promotes replacing institutional care with strengthened family- and community-based services. The reform is built on three pillars—family strengthening, expanding quality alternative family care, and reintegrating children from institutions—supported by case management, gatekeeping, workforce development, and meaningful participation of people with lived care experience. The document also defines guiding principles, integrated social services and benefits (ISSB), and the programme’s Theory of Change and Results Framework.
It assigns clear roles to government, local authorities, civil society, and development partners, and provides a step-by-step approach for oblasts: forming Better Care Councils and community taskforces, conducting situational analyses, creating costed plans, setting monitoring frameworks, and delivering ISSB and family-based care. Practical tools support coordination, capacity-building, service integration, awareness-raising, and the transformation or closure of institutions. The manual is adaptable to local contexts while maintaining national standards and aligning with EU integration objectives.
