Millions of Ukrainian families face the same question every year: where will the child spend the summer while the parents are at work? For members of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, there is an answer – they can turn to their trade union and organize health retreats for their children in camps and sanatoriums. Where exactly children can go, what conditions the facilities offer, and what documents are required - read in the UNN article.
Children's recreation during the war is neither a luxury nor a secondary option. For children who have lived for years under stress, air raid sirens, distance learning, and constant tension, a change of environment, communication with peers, physical activity, and recovery are of fundamental importance.
That is why the system of children's health improvement through trade unions remains an important social support for workers' families. It is not just about a camp voucher, but about the opportunity for a child to be in a safe environment for at least a certain period, where there is a routine, meals, leisure activities, medical support, and adult supervision. Serhiy Byzov, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, emphasizes that children's health improvement is an investment in the country's future.
"Today, Ukrainian children are growing up in conditions of war and constant stress. And our task as trade unions is to do everything so that they have the opportunity to return to a normal childhood at least for a while: to rest, improve their health, find new friends, and be in nature rather than under the sound of sirens. Moreover, this is not just a question of summer holidays; it is a matter of the child's safety, their physical and psychological health. That is why the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine maintains and develops the system of children's health improvement," Serhiy Byzov stated in an exclusive comment for UNN.
What is needed for a child to go on a health retreat
To obtain a voucher through the FTUU, parents who are members of the trade union movement must apply to their trade union committee. The application should specify the desired facility, the period of stay, as well as the child's details: surname, first name, patronymic, and date of birth.
A package of documents must be attached to the application. Specifically, this includes a copy of the child's passport or birth certificate, a copy of the passport and identification code of one of the parents or a guardian. A medical certificate issued by a doctor after examining the child is also required. A trade union voucher may be provided free of charge or with partial payment.
Where children can go
For the children of trade union members this year, health facilities in the Zakarpattia, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions are available. All of them are located in forest, park, or mountain areas of western Ukraine and have shelters – making them safe places for children's recreation. The health facilities provide full meals, sports infrastructure, and organized leisure activities.
Specifically, in Zakarpattia, children can be accommodated in the sanatoriums "Sonyachne Zakarpattia," "Karpaty," and "Polyana." "Sonyachne Zakarpattia" is located in the village of Polyana on the shore of its own lake. The "Karpaty" sanatorium in the Mukachevo district is situated in a forest reserve area and has three swimming pools: two indoor and one outdoor summer pool. The "Polyana" sanatorium is also located in the village of Polyana and has a park area for children's recreation.
In the Ternopil region, the "Lisovyi" health complex in the village of Skomorokhy and the "Zbruch" children's health and recreation facility in Skala-Podilska are ready to receive children. "Lisovyi" is located in a forest zone on the shore of its own lake, while "Zbruch" is in the park zone of the town.
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, children can go to the health facilities "Verkhovyna" in the Verkhovyna district and "Karpatski Zori" in Kosiv. "Verkhovyna" is located in the center of the Carpathians at an altitude of 680 meters above sea level and has a swimming pool and sports infrastructure. "Karpatski Zori" is located on the banks of the Rybnytsia River in the valley of the Pokuttya-Bukovyna Carpathians, in a mountain forest zone.
Why it is important
This is not just about a summer camp or a few weeks of leisure. In fact, it is an opportunity for a child to temporarily escape from an environment of constant stress, air raid sirens, online learning, and psychological exhaustion. That is why trade union health improvement today is no longer about "holidays," but about safety, stability, and normal conditions for a child's development.
In the facilities offered by the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, children receive an organized daily routine, full meals, medical support, active recreation, communication with peers, and a controlled safe environment. It is also important that all health facilities on the FTUU list for this season are located in the western regions of Ukraine, far from frontline territories.
For a child who has been living in war conditions for four years, even a few weeks in the Carpathians without the constant sound of sirens is an opportunity to recover physically and psychologically, to return to face-to-face communication, movement, nature, and the feeling of a normal childhood.