The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine secures over €25 million from the EU for safety and modernization of early childhood education facilities
The European Commission is allocating €25 million to support communities, early childhood education professionals, and the creation of safe, accessible, and modern environments in early childhood education institutions.
This support has been mobilized under the nationwide initiative First Steps Forward, launched by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to drive comprehensive sector transformation and increase investment in early childhood education.
The funding was approved by the Steering Board of the Ukraine Investment Framework and will be implemented jointly with the World Bank as part of the LEARN* program.
“Investments in early childhood education are aimed at supporting communities in implementing the new Law of Ukraine ‘On Early Childhood Education’, the adoption of which marked an important step toward European integration. The €25 million under First Steps Forward will be invested in creating safe environments and comprehensive modernization of early childhood education facilities in line with new approaches and standards. This will enable more than 2,000 children to return to safe, high-quality in-person learning,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi.
The funding will support:
communities and early childhood education professionals
construction and arrangement of dual-purpose shelters
comprehensive renovation of early childhood education facilities, with a focus on barrier-free environments
development of safe and functional spaces for learning, play, and child development
Communities will be selected to participate in the project through a transparent digital system based on needs assessment. Priority will be given to those with the greatest need to restore access to early childhood education and enable parents to return to work.
A key prerequisite for attracting new international investment in early childhood education has been the First Steps Forward initiative, launched by the Ministry in partnership with UNICEF, the Government of Finland, the World Bank, and the EU.
Previously, the Ministry had already mobilized $30 million for the early childhood sector through the expansion of the LEARN program. Project implementation will begin in April 2026 and last for three years. The new EU funding through the Ukraine Investment Framework expands the program with capital investments in physical learning environments, as well as support for communities and early childhood education professionals. The World Bank will act as the lead financial institution and implementing partner.
This investment will contribute to resilient, inclusive, and child-centered learning environments that ensure the safety of children and staff, continuity of in-person education, and access to quality early childhood education.
State support for the early childhood education sector is aimed at implementing the new Law of Ukraine “On Early Childhood Education”, a key milestone on Ukraine’s path toward European integration.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the European Commission, the Ukraine Investment Framework Steering Board, and the World Bank for their support.
The LEARN program (“Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need”) provides World Bank financing (over $451 million) to support school and early childhood education in Ukraine. It focuses on ensuring safe in-person learning, building and equipping shelters, procuring textbooks, training teachers, and upgrading education infrastructure during wartime.