This chapter analyses the Soviet state’s failure to adequately care for children, particularly after the Chernobyl disaster. The collapse of the ‘happy Soviet childhood’ myth during perestroika exposed poor conditions in orphanages and the overall lagging healthcare. As the state’s ability to provide for children weakened, society, independent initiatives, and families assumed greater responsibility. The Chernobyl children became a focal point for both state and public concern. While the Soviet government initially attempted to manage the crisis internally, their efforts were inadequate, leading to increasing public discontent and mobilization. As the state progressively lost legitimacy, society began to rally ‘in the name of the children’. Despite state-organized recuperation programs, the conditions remained sub-par, and the state’s attempts to address the children’s plight through the 1991 Chernobyl children program were too late and ineffective. This chapter highlights the Soviet Union’s structural incapacity to handle such disasters and the role of children in the broader social and political changes during the final years of the Soviet Union and beyond.