The dialogue meeting on From Small Grants to Big Changes brought together more than 150 participants: representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities, the National Social Service of Ukraine, UNICEF, the British Embassy, the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development, ISAR Ednannia, and social service providers and representatives of local authorities.
The goal of the meeting was to present the key directions of the social services reform in Ukraine, highlight the role of the SPIRIT Project and the Small Grants Project in developing a transparent and comprehensible social services market, and create a platform for experience exchange and networking.
“I am grateful to our partners for their cooperation and support, and for developing social services. It is from small steps that big changes begin — changes we are jointly scaling across different areas. Pilot projects allow us to test new approaches, identify gaps, and transition to sustainable public financing instruments. Our task is to ensure people receive quality services and that providers work in a supportive environment. Quality and timely responses to people’s needs are the most important things,” emphasized Liudmyla Shemelynets, First Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine.
The dialogue meeting marked the start of a new stage of the Small Grants Project, as 120 grantees are now providing social services across 10 oblasts of Ukraine and in Kyiv.
The UK’s Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine, Andrew Ockenden, stated: “The century-long partnership between the United Kingdom and Ukraine is rooted in our shared work to bring about real change for both British and Ukrainian people. The launch of the program for providing social services by local partners, funded by the UK Government, will help ease the lives of Ukrainians in difficult circumstances. It will also allow both the UK and Ukraine to understand how to deliver effective social services in the future.”
In turn, Shameza Abdulla, UNICEF Deputy Representative for Programmes in Ukraine, emphasized that nearly five thousand children with disabilities in Ukraine need daily social support and inclusion.
“Moreover, in just the first half of 2025, more than three thousand children in Ukraine suffered from abuse and violence, and over 9,500 orphans and children deprived of parental care are being raised in foster families, family-type homes, or under guardianship. All these children and their caregivers rely on social services for stability, protection, and inclusion,” she noted.
Key presentations and discussions focused on the development of the social services system for families with children, the establishment of a transparent market and procurement rules, the role of a single purchaser, and the reform of the social sector, as well as strengthening the capacity of service providers and fostering partnerships among the state, communities, and international organizations.
“Strengthening the capacity of social service providers and supporting them is not merely assistance — it is an investment in the future. This project gives civil society and charitable organizations what they need most: comprehensive guidance and a unique opportunity to enter the social services market, become professional providers, operate according to state standards, and continue their mission beyond the project’s completion. For ISAR Ednannia, developing and strengthening the civil society sector in the social sphere is a strategic priority — and this project opens new horizons for it,” said Partnerships Development Coordinator at ISAR Ednannia Iryna Bieliayeva.
Among other activities, participants engaged in interactive networking sessions and workshops on state standards and key social services, including building resilience and early intervention, as well as inclusive education and quality monitoring.
Background information:
Small Grants for Social Services to Families with Children and Children and/or Early Intervention Services in Ukraine Project is being implemented by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 40, dated January 17, 2025, On the Implementation of a Joint Project with UNICEF Regarding the Provision of Financial Assistance in the Form of Small Grants for Social Services for Families with Children and/or Early Intervention Services.
Within the program, 120 social service providers have each received grants of up to $60,000 to deliver social services and strengthen their institutional capacity as social service providers.
More information about the program is available on the website of the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities.
This event has been funded by the UK Government under the Social Protection for Inclusion, Resilience, Innovation, and Transformation (SPIRIT) project, implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities, and UNICEF Ukraine, with ISAR Ednannia serving as the administrative partner.
