Child institutionalisation is at the highest level in Ukraine when compared to other countries. Children with different forms of disabilities, sickness, development disorders and those from the deprived sections of the society are provided with institutional care by the Ukrainian Government. A mention about the genesis of childcare institutions in this nation can be traced back to the 17th century. During the 18th century, Tsar Peter the Great is credited with issuing decrees for the betterment of institutionalised children towards the development of the State. All the children were considered to be the children of the State after the October Revolution (1917) preceding the Bolsheviks success in the political arena. Adoption was outlawed and the State was keen on abandoning the family setup. It was determined on rearing the children as a state belonging. Makarenko’s theory of personality development was the cornerstone of the education system of the entire Soviet Union. New Boarding schools (internats) known as the “Schools of the future” were introduced by N. Krushchev. The Soviet gave up on this system between 1960 and 1970. Nonetheless, the institutional care of orphaned children and special needs children is still the norm in the Ukrainian state. Children in institutional care tend to be vulnerable during times like pandemic, wars and any other national or international calamities. In the conflict areas, the institutionalised children face exploitation and trafficking. In the year 2015, Disability Rights International exposed the various hardships faced by the children in the institutional care. The preamble of the Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly sets out that “…. All children should grow up in a family environment”. This is essential for the full and harmonious development of the child as set out in the convention. The study attempts to analyse the violations faced by the children in the institutional care, the need to promote the right to family life for all children with special reference to children with disabilities and analyse the different modes of deinstitutionalisation of child care.

Institutionalisation, Children with disabilities, Ukraine, Post-Soviet child care, right to family life