Ukraine commences ambitious preschool reform and calls for first-ever international finance summit for the early years

OLENA ZELENSKA, SARAH BROWN AND VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY AT THE SUMMIT FOR FIRST LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. IMAGE: KULAKOWSKIY

• Ukraine’s preschool reforms begin with the launch of pilot projects supported by Theirworld.
• Since full-scale Russian invasion, enrolment has dropped and more than 20% of preschool-aged children remain unable to attend in-person.
• Ukraine also joined the call for the first-ever international finance summit for the early years, with Deputy Minister Dr Yevhen Kudriavets named as a Champion.

Ukraine has begun ambitious reforms to transform its preschool system, as the country strives to protect its youngest children from the devastating impact of war.

At the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv, hosted by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown announced a support package – including funding, training, and expertise – to help launch the first pilot projects under Ukraine’s First Steps Forward national preschool strategy.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, preschool enrolment has dropped by 25% and more than 320,000 children – over 20% of preschool-aged children – are unable to attend in person, as many facilities lie damaged or destroyed. For preschoolers, where the foundation for learning and development is set, the disruption caused by war is especially severe.

“At this critical moment, investing in Ukraine’s youngest children is one of the most effective ways to support families and help lay the foundations for the country’s future.”

Sarah Brown, Chair of Theirworld

Theirworld support for Ukraine’s reforms

Theirworld’s support will help kickstart First Steps Forward, a national initiative led by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science to transform the country’s preschool sector with the aim of ensuring at least 45–50% of children under three, and 96% of children aged three to six, have access to quality early learning services by 2030.

This includes helping communities create services tailored to the needs of local children and families, providing training for dozens of early childhood educators, and delivering grants to improve learning environments through facility upgrades and new materials. These early actions will pilot and refine a model that can be scaled nationwide, while mobilising donor and private sector support to sustain reforms.

Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, said: “Investing in early childhood education is vital for the country’s future. Our partnership with Theirworld through the First Steps Forward initiative is a way to support communities that, even during the war, are striving to create safe and high-quality learning environments for preschoolers.”

A global call to act for early years

At the Summit, Dr Yevhen Kudriavets, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister for Education and Science, was also named a Champion for the first-ever international finance summit for the early years, joining a growing group of international leaders backing the call from Act For Early Years campaign.

Dr Kudriavets said: “Human capital is a nation’s greatest asset — and early childhood education is key to unlocking it. Even amid the war, Ukraine has taken a major step forward: adopting a new law on early childhood education and establishing a regulatory framework to comprehensively transform the system. We thank all our partners who support this mission and contribute to the First Steps Forward initiative.”

“Ukraine is setting an example for the world. If it can act for early years and make preschool a national priority in the midst of conflict, then every country has the power to do the same.”

Justin van Fleet, President of Theirworld

ENDS 

For further information, please contact: Darika Ahrens ([email protected]), Isabella Sheekey ([email protected]) or Ellie Suttle ([email protected]).

About the Act For Early Years campaign

Act For Early Years is a global campaign  – backed by UNICEF, UNESCO, LEGO Foundation, Sesame Workshop and many more – dedicated to ensuring that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preschool education – vital for school readiness and lifelong well-being. The campaign calls for more investment in a child’s earliest years as one of the most powerful ways to break cycles of poverty and inequality and to build a more equitable world.

About Theirworld

Theirworld is a global children’s charity committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of the next generation. Its mission is to ensure that every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn and the skills they need for the future. www.theirworld.org