In 2026 parents of a newborn can decide what to receive from the state: a tangible «Baby Package» (Baby Package) containing about 90 items, or a cash compensation equal to 8 451 UAH. This amount equals three subsistence minimums for children under six years old (2 817 UAH × 3), and an application for the cash payment must be submitted no later than 12 months from the child’s date of birth.
You cannot get both options at the same time: if the family takes the kit, the cash compensation will not be paid. Below we explain what the kit contains, how to obtain it, how to claim the 8 451 UAH via «єМалятко» or ПФУ (Pension Fund of Ukraine, PFU), or through CNAP (ЦНАП) and what you can use the money for.
Two ways to receive the Baby Package
Tangible kit of items
«Baby Package» is a one‑off in‑kind benefit for each newborn that the state has been providing since September 2018. The kit is usually issued in the maternity hospital when the mother and child are discharged. According to the Ministry of Social Policy, in 2026 over 30,000 kits were purchased for families, and each contains around 90 items.
Cash compensation: 8 451 UAH
Instead of the kit you can receive cash, the amount of which is tied to the subsistence minimum for children under six on the child’s date of birth. In 2025 the compensation was 7 689 UAH, and in 2026, after the subsistence minimum was raised to 2 817 UAH, it increased to 8 451 UAH. The payment procedure is set out in the Cabinet of Ministers resolution No.114 of 04.02.2025, which made the cash option permanent rather than pilot.
Who decides and when
The form of the benefit is chosen by the parents or other legal representatives of the child: adoptive parents, guardians or foster parents. The kit is issued once per child, so it’s best to decide before the birth and inform the maternity hospital. If the family plans to take the cash, they should decline the kit at discharge because receiving the kit closes the right to the cash compensation.
What is included in the tangible kit
Clothing and textiles for the newborn
The kit’s composition is approved by the Ministry of Social Policy and was last substantially revised by an order of 02.01.2024, taking parents’ wishes into account. The revision reduced the number of smallest‑size clothing items that babies quickly outgrow and added warmer clothes and a larger blanket. The main groups of items in the kit are:
- bodysuits, rompers, hats and socks for the first months;
- warm clothes, including hats and sleepwear;
- nappies/cloths, including reusable waterproof ones;
- a duvet, a throw and a terry towel for bathing;
- disposable nappies and wet wipes for the initial period;
- care products: cream, baby shampoo, breastfeeding pads;
- thermometers for water and body, safe nail scissors, a mattress and a development toy.
Hygiene and care products
The hygiene items are intended for the first weeks after birth rather than long‑term use. The nappies and wipes cover roughly the starter period, so families will still need to buy more. The cream and shampoo in the kit are chosen for sensitive baby skin, though some parents prefer specific brands.
Mattress, book and other items
The kit contains a mattress, a toy and UNICEF’s book “From Birth to One Year” with advice for parents. In 2026 each purchased kit also included a leaflet “The First Lullaby” with a QR code linking to a platform of Ukrainian lullabies. The exact contents can change with each procurement, so it’s best to check the specific list at the maternity hospital.
How to get the kit at the maternity hospital or after discharge
Receiving it at the maternity hospital
You do not need to apply separately to social services during pregnancy: the kit is processed and issued by the health facility after the child is born. It’s worth asking the maternity ward in advance whether kits are in stock, as regional deliveries arrive in batches. The general steps are:
- Decide with your family before the birth whether you want the kit or 8 451 UAH.
- Inform the maternity hospital staff of your decision at discharge.
- If you chose the kit, check the contents and sign to acknowledge receipt.
- If you chose the money, do not take the kit and submit an application for the compensation via «eMalyatko» or PFU (Pension Fund of Ukraine, PFU).
- If the kit was not issued, contact the social protection authority or CNAP (ЦНАП) within 30 calendar days.
What to do if the kit was not issued
Sometimes the maternity hospital temporarily runs out of kits or the child was born outside a medical facility. In that case submit an application to the local social protection authority or CNAP (ЦНАП) by place of residence within 30 calendar days from the date of birth. Relatives may collect the kit by arrangement.
If the child was born outside a maternity hospital, include the birth document from the health facility that examined the mother and child. For children born abroad you need a foreign birth document with a Ukrainian translation certified by a notary.
Switching to the cash option
If the kit never arrives, the family has a fallback route in the form of cash compensation. The main condition is that the kit must not have been actually received and the application for money must be submitted within 12 months of birth. For many families this is simpler than waiting for a new delivery of kits.
How to receive 8 451 UAH in cash
Application for cash compensation
The most convenient way to request the compensation is together with other services via the «eMalyatko» service at the maternity hospital, DРАЦС (State Civil Registry Office, DRAСS), CNAP (ЦНАП) or on the Diia portal. A standalone application is also accepted by PFU (service) centres, CNAP administrators, authorised community officials where CNAP is not available, and by post. An online application can be submitted on the Pension Fund of Ukraine’s electronic services web portal with a qualified electronic signature in the “Communications with PFU” section.
Processing times and payment
The deadline to apply is 12 months from the child’s date of birth, after which the right to compensation is lost. The status of an online application is visible in the personal account on the PFU web portal in “My requests”. The funds are paid in a single lump sum after a decision is made; exact timing depends on the payment financing schedule.
Account for payment and permitted purchases
The compensation is credited not to a regular bank card but to a current account with a special usage regime. By government decision of 15.05.2026 a single special account and a unified list of 30 MCC codes were introduced for the Baby Package, care allowance up to one year, «eYasel» and the “Schoolchild Package”. Payments can be made at supermarkets, pharmacies, children’s clothing, footwear and toy stores, and also for medical and educational services.
There is no longer a time limit on using these funds, so purchases do not have to be rushed. Previously opened special accounts, including those at Ощадбанк, remain valid, and you can open an account for child payments through the Pension Fund, CNAP (ЦНАП) or via a partner bank’s app as a Diia.Card.
Which is more advantageous: kit or cash - comparison
Value and completeness of the kit
By law both options have the same value, i.e. three subsistence minimums for children under six. The advantage of the kit is that items are already assembled, certified and save you shopping in the first days after birth. If you buy a similar set yourself, the cost will depend on the chosen brands and may exceed or fall short of 8 451 UAH.
Flexibility in choosing items
Cash allows you to buy exactly what you need, for example a car seat, formula, medicines or nappies of the required size. This is convenient if the family already has some baby items from older children or as gifts. At the same time the money can only be spent within the permitted merchant categories.
| Option | What you receive | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Kit at the maternity hospital | About 90 items: clothing, textiles, care products, mattress, toy | Processed and issued by the maternity hospital at discharge |
| Kit after discharge | The same kit if it was not issued at the maternity hospital | Application to the social protection authority or CNAP (ЦНАП) within 30 days |
| 8 451 UAH via «eMalyatko» | Money on a special account for child purchases | Maternity hospital, DРАЦС (DRAСS), CNAP (ЦНАП) or Diia portal |
| 8 451 UAH by separate application | The same one‑off credit to a special account | PFU web portal, PFU service centre, CNAP (ЦНАП), post, within 12 months |
Who each option suits best
The kit is convenient for a first child, when you don’t yet have basic items and have little time for shopping. Cash is better for families who already have some items, or who need specific goods such as formula or medical supplies. If the maternity hospital has no kits in stock, compensation often becomes the quickest way to get support.
Common mistakes and where to turn
The kit was taken and later a cash application was filed
The most frequent reason for refusal is that the family received the kit at the maternity hospital and later applied for compensation. In that case the cash is not paid because the benefit has already been provided in kind. Another common mistake is missing the 12‑month deadline, after which an application cannot be submitted.
Wrong account and payment questions
If the application specifies a regular card account instead of the special account, the payment will be delayed. For compensation queries contact a PFU service centre or the hotline 0 800 503 753, and for kit issuance contact the social protection authority or CNAP (ЦНАП) at your place of residence.
Frequently asked questions
When can you request the Baby Package?
The tangible kit is issued after the child’s birth at the maternity hospital, and if that does not happen an application must be submitted within 30 calendar days. The cash compensation of 8 451 UAH can be applied for at any time within 12 months from the date of birth.
Can you change your choice between the kit and the cash after applying?
If the kit has already been received, you cannot switch to cash because compensation is paid only to those who have not taken the kit. If an application for cash has been submitted but a decision has not yet been made, check with PFU at the place of submission about withdrawing the application.
Do families of internally displaced persons receive the Baby Package?
Yes, the benefit is provided for every newborn regardless of internally displaced persons (IDPs) status. IDPs apply at their actual place of residence, and they can submit the compensation application online via Diia or the PFU portal.
Does the compensation affect other child benefits?
No, 8 451 UAH is paid independently of the childbirth benefit of 50 000 UAH and the care allowance up to one year. All these payments can be requested in a single «eMalyatko» application.
