"eYasla": New Assistance for Parents and Who Is Eligible

Starting from 1 January 2026, Ukraine has introduced a new form of state support for working parents — the childcare assisstance known as “eYasla.”

This assistance is designed to support families who combine full-time employment with caring for a child between the ages of one and three.

Who Is Eligible?

The benefit is granted to the mother or another legal representative of the child who previously provided care for the child until the age of one (i.e., received the childcare benefits until the child turned one), provided that after the child reaches one year of age, the person resumes full-time employment.

Important: Assistance is not available to foster parents, parents-educators of family-type children's homes, patronage caregivers, or representatives of institutions providing guardianship or custody.

What Does the Assistance Cover?

The “eYasla” is an additional state payment intended to cover the cost of childcare services.

Services must be provided under a written contract by:

1. an individual entrepreneur (excluding the child’s parents or guardians), for example, a formally registered nanny;
2. a legal entity (e.g., a private kindergarten);
3. non-profit organizations (such as charitable foundations or NGOs providing daytime childcare services);
4. state or municipal preschool institutions, as well as general secondary education institutions with preschool units providing paid services.

Important: The service provider must be officially registered and operate under the relevant economic activity codes (KVED), including:

KVED 78.20 — Activities of temporary employment agencies (in particular - recruitment services, including hiring of nannies).

KVED 97.00 — Activities of households as employers of domestic personnel (e.g., official employment of a nanny).

KVED 85.10 — Preschool education (nurseries, kindergartens, early development centers).

KVED 87.90 — Other residential care activities (in particular, specialised care facilities).

KVED 88.91 — Day-care activities for children (daycare centers, private mini-kindergartens, short-term care groups).

A contract with the service provider must be concluded no later than before the child reaches the age of three.

Required Documents

To qualify for the assistance, the applicant must submit the following to the territorial service centers of the Pension Fund, Administrative Service Centers (TSNAP), or authorized community representatives:

1. An application form (approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine);
2. A copy of the child’s birth certificate (original must be presented);
3. A copy of the employer’s order confirming full-time employment or an official certificate from the employer.

A guardian must additionally provide a copy of the guardianship decision.

Online Application

Currently, the technical option to apply online is not available. Once implemented, applications may be submitted electronically through the Diia Portal.

Applicants will need to:

1. be a citizen of Ukraine;
2. complete electronic identification;
3. use a qualified or advanced electronic signature.

Employment data will be verified through the State Register of Compulsory State Social Insurance, and information on a child’s disability will be verified through the Unified Information System of the Social Sphere.

Eligibility Age for Payments

The “eYasla” asssitance is granted from the month following the child’s first birthday and continues through the month in which the child turns three.

If the application is submitted later, payments begin from the month of application. The benefit is paid on a monthly basis.

How Is the Asssitance Paid?

Funds under the “eYasla” programme are not received in cash, but are rather transferred to a special account opened with an authorized bank, through which pensions, cash assistance, compulsory state social insurance payments, and salaries to employees of budgetary institutions are paid, at the recipient’s choice, as indicated in the applications for assistance.

Important:

1. Opening and maintaining the account is free of charge;
2. Funds may only be used for their intended purpose — payment for childcare services and related goods and services;
3. Cash withdrawals or transfers to other accounts (except accounts of service providers, retail outlets, or pharmacies) are not permitted.

When Are Payments Terminated?

Payments are terminated in cases such as:

1. deprivation of parental rights;
2. refusal to raise the child;
3. placement of the child in full state care;
4. removal of the child without deprivation of parental rights;
5. termination of guardianship;
6. recipient's stay in detention facilities;
7. death of the child or recipient;
8. transition to part-time employment;
9. submission of false documents;
10. voluntary refusal of the assistance.

The decision to terminate payments is made by the Pension Fund of Ukraine.

Amount of the Assistance

In 2026, the monthly amount is UAH 8,000 per child.

For a child with disability, a coefficient of 1.5 applies, resulting in a monthly payment of UAH 12,000.

Starting from 2027, the amount will be determined annually by the Law on the State Budget of Ukraine.

Special Provisions for Children with Disabilities

The assistance is provided for the period specified in the medical certificate confirming the child’s disability.

If the disability status is renewed, payments are resumed from the month they were suspended within the originally assigned period.

Key Takeaways

In summary, full-time employment alone is not sufficient to qualify for the “eYasla” programme. A formal contract with a duly registered childcare service provider operating under the appropriate KVED codes is required.

At the same time, it is noteworthy that current regulation does not prohibit first-degree relatives, such as grandparents, from providing childcare services, provided they are officially registered as individual entrepreneurs.

At the same time, the issue of practical implementation of the mechanism for self-employed and individual entrepreneurs remains unresolved. In particular, there is no clear regulatory procedure for them to submit documents confirming full-time employment in order to receive the “eYasla” assistance. Further regulatory clarification of this matter is expected.

Overall, the “eYasla” mechanism combines state support for families with requirements for formalized childcare services, while allowing families to choose a lawful and convenient format of childcare.

This informational material was created within a project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) with financial support from the Government of the United States of America. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of the United States of America or DRC. Neither the Government of the United States of America nor DRC can be held responsible for the content of this material.