Current vacancies

As a result of the international armed conflict in Ukraine, the lives of every Ukrainian, including the most vulnerable, children, have been severely impacted. Millions of children were displaced both within as well as outside of Ukraine, thousands of them without parental care, including children evacuated from institutions. Many other were separated from their parents/legal guardians during their displacement, have since been separated from their caregivers or are in other ways in need of family tracing and reunification (FTR) and family-based placement support. However, more than two years have now passed, meaning that and there is now both an opportunity and an urgency to safely reintegrate children who have been reunified with their families or otherwise returned to government-controlled areas (GCA) of Ukraine, as children returning from abroad or from non-government controlled areas, often after harrowing journeys and ordeals, are amongst the most vulnerable children. They have often had to survive violence, abuse and neglect, are at risk of further violence, have returned to areas and communities that they might not know and that are not capacitated to support their needs and vulnerabilities, are at risk of institutionalisation and are at risk of being stigmatised. The Government of Ukrainian (GoU), with UNICEF and other support, is actively seeking ways to support FTR as well as the identification of and placement in family-based alternative care solutions for children who cannot be reunified, including notably children evacuation abroad from institutions. This, in line with the GoU’s vision of ensuring safe and nurturing family care for all children. This is a national priority articulated through the Strategy for Ensuring the Right of Every Child in Ukraine to Family Upbringing (henceforth referred to as “the Strategy”), of which UNICEF’s Better Care Initiative is a key mechanism for the implementation of the Strategy. Furthermore, a shared priority of the Government and UNICEF is ensuring family care and access to social services, health and education for children who were previously displaced and have subsequently returned to Ukraine in a manner anchored in the best interests of children. This will leverage existing government initiatives like Better Care and Resilience Centres, prioritize family care, and access to a minimum package of social services and benefits (ISSB) to ensure that the reintegration process is successful.  

UNICEF’s programme objectives and related activities are designed through a system strengthening lens and an integrated approach involving both humanitarian response and care reform. This is intentionally designed to create intentional linkages aimed at the shared objectives of safe return, family care, and access to social services to facilitate successful reintegration. The objectives and related activities of UNICEF’s Reintegration Programme leverage current efforts to safely return children to Ukraine and identify and support those who have already returned to Ukraine, ensure placement into appropriate family care selected to meet the child’s unique needs, profile, and situation, and facilitate reintegration back into community. It is designed to strengthen the child protection system utilizing standardized approaches such as case management, and family strengthening. Recognizing the trauma caused by war, and the knock-on effects of family separation, and movement, particular focus will be paid to facilitating access to necessary social services both for the child and for the family providing care.

The consultant will work closely with UNICEF’s Kyiv and field Offices, notably within the various teams and thematic areas of child protection work, with key governmental counterparts leading the various components of return and reintegration (Ombudsman’s Office, Coordination Centre on Care Reform, Ministry of Social Policy, National Social Service, Regional Child Affairs Services, Regional Social Services, etc.) as well as with UNICEF’s implementing partners. Notably, the consultant will: 

• Support UNICEF in framing its return and reintegration work through the development of an internal programme note on return and reintegration, which will include consultations and be in line with UNICEF’s broader child protection programming, notably on Better Care Reform and will be in line with global standards and best practices. 

• Develop and support an Open Call to select an implementing partner to support UNICEF reintegration programme and support the setting up of said programme, in line with national priorities, under the leadership of relevant government institutions and in consultation with other UNICEF colleagues, NGOs, CSOs, etc. 

• Develop a package of specifications, methodologies and tools on case management and services for returned children aimed at strengthening the capacity of notably local actors in supporting and assisting returned children. This will also include developing and piloting training modules on said packages. 

• In line with the programme note and the packages, the consultant will also develop a mapping to support UNICEF reintegration programme which will identify ongoing UNICEF Chid Protection programmes, gaps and support needs in order to ensure high quality reintegration programming in prioritised return Oblasts. 

• The consultant, in coordination with UNICEF Child Protection colleagues, under the leadership of relevant government entities and in coordination with other actors will draft and Action Plan on return and reintegration that it will submit to relevant governmental actors. Following the development of the Action Plan, the consultant will develop ToRs for a coordination forum that will serve to oversee the implementation of the Action Plan as well as an M&E framework, tools, processes and accompanying (piloted) training modules. 

They will provide technical support to the Child Protection Section, and work under the direct management of the Child Protection Specialist working on Return and Reintegration under the general oversight of the Alternative Care and Return and Reintegration team lead in Kyiv to support to ensure the coordinated implementation of UNICEF’s Return and Reintegration programme.