Child Protection Specialist

Host entity: UNICEF Ukraine

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Administration, Community development, Education

Application deadline: 17/11/2026

Mission and objectives

UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. In all its work, UNICEF takes a life cycle-based approach, recognizing the particular importance of early childhood development and adolescence.

UNICEF programmes focus on the most disadvantaged children, including those living in fragile contexts, those with disabilities, those who are affected by rapid urbanization and those affected by environmental degradation. UNICEF was created with a distinct purpose in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future.

We promote girls’ education – ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum – because it benefits all children, both girls and boys. Girls who are educated grow up to become better thinkers, better citizens, and better parents to their own children. We act so that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases and are well nourished: no child should suffer or die from a preventable illness. We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Assignment context

Since the onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine, host communities in Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson oblasts have faced increasing pressure to provide integrated and sustainable social services for internally displaced persons (IDPs), conflict-affected children, and vulnerable families. The war has caused widespread displacement, destruction of infrastructure, psychosocial distress, unemployment, and heightened risks of family separation and institutionalization of children. At the same time, many local authorities and service providers continue to face limited technical capacity, insufficient human and financial resources, and weak coordination systems to respond effectively to the growing and increasingly complex protection needs of children and families.

Across the three oblasts, there is a critical need to strengthen community-based integrated social services, improve social work case management and referral pathways, and expand family-based alternative care options for children without parental care. Strengthening gatekeeping systems, family support services, early intervention, psychosocial support, and community-based protection mechanisms is essential to prevent unnecessary institutionalization and support safe family reunification and reintegration. These efforts require stronger intersectoral coordination, evidence-based planning, skilled social service workforce development, and enhanced collaboration between oblast and hromada authorities, UNICEF implementing partners, and communities, including people with lived experience.

The purpose of this assignment is to support UNICEF’s Child Protection Programme (particularly the Better Care Flagship Program) under the Odesa Field Office. The consultant will support strengthening and streamlining integrated social services and family-based alternative care systems across Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson oblasts. The UNV will contribute to improving coordination mechanisms, strengthening community-based child protection and gatekeeping systems, enhancing family support services, and supporting the implementation of the Better Care agenda in line with the National Strategy for Ensuring the Right of Every Child to Grow Up in a Family Environment.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist, the UNV is expected to undertake the following:

• Support the establishment and functioning of regional and local Better Care task forces, working groups, and coordination platforms, including preparation of agendas, documentation of recommendations, and follow-up on implementation of agreed actions.
• Promote meaningful engagement of People with Lived Experience (PWLE), children, young people, caregivers, and community representatives in planning, implementation, monitoring, and advocacy processes related to Better Care reform.
• Conduct situational analyses, service mapping, workforce assessments, and community profiling to identify service gaps, priority needs, and opportunities for expansion of Better Care interventions.
• Support monitoring and reporting of Better Care Program implementation in three regions under OFO.
• Support the development, implementation, and quality assurance of integrated social services and family-based care interventions.
• Support the development and roll-out of capacity-building plans for social service providers at Hromada and Oblast.
• Support the institutionalization of technical supervision, mentoring, peer-learning, and continuous professional development mechanisms for the social service workforce through direct partnership modalities and government-led systems.
• Support oblast and hromada authorities in planning, budgeting, and mobilizing resources for Better Care interventions, including strengthening understanding and application of UNICEF Direct Cash Transfer (DCT) modalities, financial management requirements, and reporting processes.
• Facilitate knowledge management, documentation of good practices, lessons learned, and success stories, and support dissemination of evidence and learning products to inform policy dialogue and programme scale-up.

Skills and experience

• At least 3 years of professional experience in social protection/child protection at the national and/or subnational level.
• Knowledge of the Ukrainian system of child protection, the system of social protection, and the system of alternative care for children (residential and family-based).
• Experience in strengthening the social workforce and the system of social services
• Experience in the development of nationwide strategies and plans of action in area of child protection.
• Experience in building a dialog with national and local governments and CSOs.
• Experience providing consultancy services to UNICEF and other UN agencies.

Competencies and values

• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Teamwork and respect for diversity
• Commitment to continuous learning
• Planning and organizing
• Communication
• Flexibility
• Genuine commitment to the principles of voluntary engagement

Living conditions

As it is a national UN Volunteer's assignment, the UN Volunteer shall organize his/her accommodation by themselves.

Entitlements of National UN Volunteer Specialist >> USD $ 1,869

The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with the possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. This is a full-time contract.

Allowances:
- Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) USD $ 1,869 (equivalent in UAH) is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. This includes Well-Being Differentials for the period while the ICSC applies hardship classification to duty stations in Ukraine as “E”.
• USD 350 entry lump sum, one-time payment.

Medical and life insurance:
• Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents will receive UNV-provided medical insurance coverage. Coverage for UN Volunteers begins at the Commencement of Service and normally ceases on the last day of the UN Volunteer Contract.
• Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. If a UN Volunteer dies during the UN Volunteer assignment, the eligible designated beneficiaries will be entitled to receive a life insurance lump sum.

Leave entitlements:
• Annual leave:  UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment.
• Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period.
• Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle.
• Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.