{"id":596802,"date":"2026-07-06T14:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T11:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/07\/596802\/children-may-be-left-without-food-in-mykolaiv-funding-for-kindergartens-will-last-only-until-july-9\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T14:57:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T11:57:06","slug":"children-may-be-left-without-food-in-mykolaiv-funding-for-kindergartens-will-last-only-until-july-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/07\/596802\/children-may-be-left-without-food-in-mykolaiv-funding-for-kindergartens-will-last-only-until-july-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Children may be left without food: in Mykolaiv, funding for kindergartens will last only until July 9"},"content":{"rendered":"

A critical situation has arisen in Mykolaiv<\/strong> regarding funding for feeding preschoolers: if the city authorities do not urgently find more than 60 million hryvnias<\/strong>, July 9, 2026<\/strong> could become the last day the children are provided with meals.<\/p>\n

This was reported by the head of the Department of Education of the Mykolaiv City Council, Hanna Lychko<\/strong>, on July 6, 2026<\/strong> during an operational meeting at city hall.<\/p>\n

The issue was raised by the director of the Communal Production Enterprise for organizing food services in educational institutions, Petro Vashenyak<\/strong>. He said that the Department of Education is not signing a contract with the enterprise to feed preschoolers, although KVP was officially declared the winner of the tender.<\/p>\n

The Department of Education earlier reallocated about 800 thousand hryvnias<\/strong>, but these funds lasted only for a short period. In fact, by decision of the executive committee, 864.5 thousand hryvnias<\/strong> were directed to feeding in kindergartens, taken from expenditures for school meals. Officials warned in June that this amount would not cover needs even until the end of the summer.<\/p>\n

In June the Department of Education announced a tender for almost 70 million hryvnias<\/strong> to feed children in kindergartens until October 2026<\/strong>. The contract is planned to be signed in the coming days, but it cannot be registered with the State Treasury Service without confirmation of funding for the full amount, which is not currently available in the budget.<\/p>\n

According to Hanna Lychko<\/strong>, there are no internal resources left in the Department of Education. It is also impossible to take the required amount from school meals, since there is only a nominal 1 million hryvnias<\/strong> there, which will not solve the problem. By October<\/strong> kindergartens need at least 60 million hryvnias<\/strong>, which can only be allocated by the city council.<\/p>\n

Warning about the possible cessation of feeding for all preschoolers, including children from privileged categories, Hanna Lychko<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n

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“The communal production enterprise is very concerned that there is no funding from the Department of Education. We simply will not be able to feed children in kindergartens \u2014 all the children. At the same time, privileged categories account for 77%, and they are fully funded from the local budget. Funds are needed by July 8, because July 9 is the last day when we provide meals to the children.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As reported by the director of the Finance Department of the Mykolaiv City Council, Vira Sviatelyk<\/strong>, as of July 1, 2026<\/strong> the community’s budget is underexecuted by 3%<\/strong>, which in monetary terms amounts to about 61 million hryvnias<\/strong>. This is practically equal to the sum currently lacking to continue feeding the children.<\/p>\n

It is impossible to carry out the necessary reallocation without a decision by the city council. This requires convening a session and determining which departments and administrations will give up funding for previously planned projects, public investments or capital expenditures.<\/p>\n

The mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych<\/strong>, instructed the financial department and his deputies to urgently prepare full information on budget execution and options for withdrawing funds from other city programs.<\/p>\n

Speaking about the possibility of an emergency reallocation of funding, Oleksandr Senkevych<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n

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“Gather the information you prepared regarding the budget with your deputies, we will make decisions. If the situation is indeed so critical, we will convene an extraordinary session of the city council.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The mayor also reminded that the city authorities warned the central government at the end of 2025<\/strong> about an impending deficit after the withdrawal of the “military” PIT from local budgets. According to him, the problem may affect not only child feeding but also other critically important areas.<\/p>\n

Warning about the possible spread of the financial crisis to municipal transport, water supply and other services, Oleksandr Senkevych<\/strong> noted:<\/p>\n

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“We knew this situation would happen. We warned about it. And it concerns not only feeding. Tomorrow it may concern transport, water supply and other areas of city life.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

On May 28, 2026 deputies appealed to the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers requesting almost 149.5 million hryvnias<\/strong> for feeding children in educational institutions until the end of the year. Of this sum, more than 109 million hryvnias<\/strong> were needed specifically for kindergartens.<\/p>\n

In a letter dated June 30, 2026 the Ministry of Finance refused the city the allocation of 150 million hryvnias<\/strong>, explaining that feeding preschoolers must be paid from the community’s budget. The ministry also noted that revenues of Mykolaiv’s general fund budget for the first 5 months of 2026 increased by 15.6% compared to the same period last year.<\/p>\n

Now, the only quick solution left is an extraordinary session of the city council and reallocation of already planned expenditures. Otherwise, after July 9 city kindergartens may be left without organized meals.<\/p>\n

Earlier we wrote:<\/h3>\n