Fake news about fines for truancy at school: what the police say

The information about alleged automatic fines for parents for each missed class by their child is not true.

This was reported by the juvenile police of Ukraine.

The department stated that messages spread on social networks distort the content of the regulatory changes and do not reflect real practice.

This is Cabinet Resolution No. 241 of February 25, 2026, which changes the procedure for recording preschool and school-age children. These changes apply to children who are not enrolled in school, and not to monitoring each individual missed lesson.

If a child does not attend school for a long time without good reason, educational institutions enter the relevant data into electronic systems and notify children’s services and the police.

Law enforcement officers only get involved when it is necessary to find out the reasons for the absence, return the child to school, or check the conditions of his upbringing and safety.

The police emphasize that this is not a response mechanism for every truancy.

Parents can only be held liable if they have proven to have failed to fulfill their child-rearing responsibilities. For this purpose, a separate investigation is conducted and a legal assessment is made.

Juvenile police urge citizens to trust only verified sources and not spread fake news.