In Mykolaiv, more than 500 orphans are registered with the Child Protection Service

There are over 500 orphans and children deprived of parental care in the Mykolaiv region. Illustrative photo: NikVesti

As of February 2026, 837 children are registered with the Mykolaiv City Council’s Child Protection Service. Of these, 574 are orphans and children deprived of parental care who are on the primary register.

This is discussed in the NikVesti article «A child has the right to a family: how adoption and family-based care are being developed in Mykolaiv».

A further 263 children find themselves in difficult life circumstances. There are currently 14 orphans and children deprived of parental care in children’s homes. These are children with medical conditions requiring constant medical supervision.

There are currently 6 foster families and 14 family-type children’s homes in Mykolaiv. The service notes that this is one of the highest figures in Ukraine. Families who decide to take children into their care receive comprehensive support — both from the state and local authorities, as well as from charitable organisations.

In total, last year 101 children with the status of orphans or children deprived of parental care were placed in family-based care arrangements. Of these, five children were adopted by Ukrainian citizens, 74 were placed under guardianship, and a further 20 were placed with foster families and family-type children’s homes.

Also, in 2025, 12 children were returned to their biological parents. Of these, 11 children had been in social and psychological rehabilitation centres, and one child had been in the Rivne Regional Specialised Children’s Home with a rehabilitation centre.

As of February 2026, the council’s child welfare service has 21 families on its register who wish to adopt a child.

As a reminder, in Mykolaiv, a 34-year-old woman was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment after her children died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.