The Verkhovna Rada adopted, in the second reading and as a whole, Bill No. 13200 “On Mentoring,” which establishes a system of individual and corporate mentoring for children aged 10 and older and for youth from vulnerable groups.

As explained by the relevant committee, mentoring currently covers a very narrow group of children, and there is a lack of clear mechanisms for organizing mentoring—from the selection and training of mentors to support, record-keeping, and oversight. The new law is intended to expand the pool of beneficiaries of mentoring and standardize procedures.

The document provides for two forms of mentoring—individual and corporate—establishes requirements for mentors (including a minimum age of 21 and Ukrainian citizenship), launches a social service to organize mentoring, and identifies the entities responsible for organizing and overseeing the process. It also introduces mechanisms for record-keeping, monitoring, support, and state oversight in the field of mentoring.

According to information from the materials for the second reading, the minimum age for children is set at 10 years, and the mentoring agreement is to be a tripartite agreement between the mentor, the child’s parents or legal guardians, and the social service provider. Mentoring is possible only with the consent of the legal representatives and the child themselves.

Commenting on the law’s adoption to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, attorney Oleksiy Shevchuk highlighted the novelty of this mechanism for older children.

“The key point is that it is not mandatory to establish guardianship or custody for children aged 10 and older,” he said.