21/10/2025 Children of Ukraine
Members of the Parliamentary Network on the Situation of the Children of Ukraine gathered in Tallinn on 17-18 October 2025 for a two-day conference titled “Restoring Childhood: Physical and Psychological Rehabilitation of War-Affected Ukrainian Children.” Hosted by the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia), the meeting brought together parliamentarians, Ukrainian officials, experts and civil society representatives to discuss how national parliaments can strengthen rehabilitation and psychosocial support systems for children affected by the war.
“Rehabilitation is not only about healing bodies and minds – it is about restoring childhood itself,” said Olena Khomenko (Ukraine, ECPA), addressing the meeting. Presenting the conclusions adopted by the Network, Vice-Chair Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (Finland, SOC) underlined that “beyond physical needs, such as hospital equipment for children, there is a critical shortage of human capacity, especially in mental health services,” stressing that teachers and school nurses could play a vital role in addressing trauma among children through training and international co-operation.
Participants underlined the need to rebuild and modernise Ukraine’s rehabilitation infrastructure, facilitate training and professional exchanges for Ukrainian specialists, and promote partnerships between hospitals and rehabilitation centres through “twinning” arrangements. They also called to advocate for rehabilitation programmes that reach rural and frontline regions and to encourage the exchange of experience between European countries in accessibility for disabled people.
The Network further recommended to recognise schools as key environments for psychosocial care, support the creation of a resilient mental health system, and ensure that rehabilitation initiatives include family-based counselling to strengthen home-based emotional support. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that every Ukrainian child affected by the war has access to recovery, education and hope through parliamentary engagement and international co-operation.
