On mentorship
On mentorship
Mentorship is one of the ways to support a child or young person who has been left without parental care or has found themselves in difficult life circumstances.
Under the Law of Ukraine “On Mentorship”, mentorship is a voluntary, unpaid, and regular activity aimed at developing the personal potential of the person (persons) receiving mentorship, taking into account their individual needs and characteristics.
Put simply, mentorship is when a reliable and safe adult, outside a parental or professional role, regularly supports a child or young person, shares their
Who mentorship is for
A mentee is a child aged 10 or older, or a young person under 23, who may receive mentorship.
Categories of mentees:
- an orphaned child or a child deprived of parental care;
- a child who has parents but is in difficult life circumstances and/or lives (resides) in an institution of any type, form of ownership, or subordination;
- a child among the persons defined in Articles 10 and 10-1 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Status of War Veterans and Guarantees of Their Social Protection”;
- a child with the status of a child affected by military operations and armed conflicts;
- a child who has been deported and/or forcibly displaced as a result of the russian federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine;
- a child from a family in difficult life circumstances;
- a minor or underage pregnant woman in difficult life circumstances;
- a single mother (father) under 23 in difficult life circumstances;
- a person aged 18 to 23 from among children who are orphans or children deprived of parental care;
- a person aged 18 to 23 who lives (resides) in institutions of any type, form of ownership, or subordination, and who is in difficult life circumstances.
Directions a mentor could focus on:
Help with education and holistic development
The mentor helps the mentee study at their educational institution, do homework, improve their academic knowledge, and attend clubs and extracurricular activities.
Socialisation (developing independent living skills)
The mentor helps build the mentee’s self-esteem, develops their communication skills, supports them in learning new patterns of behaviour, helps them spend their free time in a meaningful way, and helps develop everyday life skills — self-care, grocery shopping, cooking, and budget planning.
Career guidance
The mentor helps the mentee plan for their future career and stick to the goals they have set, uses their own contacts and connections to introduce the mentee to professionals from different fields, helps them find a job or training, and builds their skills for a responsible attitude to work and job searching.
Emotional support
The mentor creates a safe space for the mentee, where they can openly talk about their feelings, ask questions, and receive support. Having at least one reliable adult nearby fosters trust, emotional stability, and the formation of healthy relationships in the future — friendships, professional connections, and romantic partnerships.
Key facts
Who can become a mentor. A legally capable adult aged 21 or older who has completed a training course and received a positive eligibility statement for mentorship, who has good moral character and wishes to help a child or young person with their development, socialisation, or career guidance.
Voluntary and unpaid. The mentor acts on a voluntary basis: mentorship is not paid work.
Duration. Experts recommend that mentorship last at least six months. The specific duration of the relationship is determined based on the needs and wishes of the mentee and the mentor’s capacity. The bond formed between the mentee and the mentor often continues even after mentorship formally ends.
Mentee’s rights. Within mentorship, the child or young person retains all their rights, including the right to education, medical care, and social benefits. The mentor helps the mentee exercise these rights and access the resources they need.
Integration into the community. Mentorship helps include the child or young person in the local community and society at large.
No co-residence. Unlike family-based forms of care, mentorship does not involve the mentor and the mentee living together. The pair meets regularly, at a time convenient for both, for joint activities, study, or communication — this gives the mentee a sense of support and connection without changing their permanent place of residence. The mentor has the right to invite the mentee to their family’s home or to public places for up to 14 calendar days at a time — on holidays and non-working days, during school breaks. While the child is with the mentor’s family, the mentor is responsible for their life, health, and timely return to their place of residence (stay). These conditions are set out in the mentorship agreement.
Who can be a mentor?
A legally capable adult aged 21 or older who has undergone the relevant vetting and training, has good moral character, and wishes to help a child or young person with their development, socialisation, or career guidance can become a mentor.
What mentors get from mentorship
Becoming a mentor makes you more than just a friend to a child or young person who is experiencing loss and loneliness — you become their guide through a complicated world. Your support, attention, and mentorship give the mentee a sense of safety and confidence in the future — something children and young people who grow up without parental support so often lack.
What mentees get from mentorship
Mentorship helps the mentee build safe relationships in which the experience of a secure attachment creates a chance to develop trust in the world, build relationships, and regulate emotions. For a child or young person growing up without parental support, a mentor can become that reliable adult who provides support, protection, and help in overcoming challenges — especially as the young person begins independent life.
Care line
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