Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed a decree approving the national strategy for the prevention of child abandonment for a period until 2020.

The text of the decree was posted on the official Web site of the head of state on Monday.

The national strategy is designed to ensure the realization of the right of every child to grow up in a family and in a safe family environment, increase the effectiveness of the work of government agencies and local authorities to prevent child abandonment, and improve systems for the provision of social services to children and families with children.

The head of state instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to approve a plan of measures aimed at ensuring the implementation of the strategy.

The strategy defines the purpose and main objectives aimed at creating conditions to ensure the proper social protection of children and families with children who found themselves in difficult situations, as well as establishing family values in society.