Comprehensive child support initiatives

More than 6.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began, with millions more displaced within the country. The ongoing conflict, rising prices, and widespread insecurity have created serious social challenges, particularly for children and young people. Many have been separated from their families or orphaned, while also facing prolonged disruptions in education and unstable living conditions. The overwhelmed child welfare system is struggling to meet the growing demand, leaving children increasingly vulnerable to homelessness, poverty, and long-term mental health issues.

At the same time, families with premature or medically fragile newborns are facing critical difficulties. Interruptions in healthcare services, along with severe shortages of medical equipment and supplies, have placed these infants at heightened risk. Early intervention and consistent support are more important than ever to protect their lives and development.

The aim is to strengthen the psychosocial well-being of children and young people affected by the war by providing nurturing spaces for play, learning, and emotional recovery, by supporting families with premature babies, and by helping unaccompanied children reunite with relatives or enter stable, family-based care.

• The Mobile Play Units provide physical, creative, and psychologist-led activities for children at various locations in the three oblasts of Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv, supporting the children's development, reducing stress, and enhancing creativity, teamwork, communication, and motor skills.
• The Summercamp activities include daily psychologist sessions, morning reflections, first aid lectures, physical activities (badminton, surfing, kayaking, volleyball), and creative activities (art therapy, music therapy, theater, crafts, singing, campfires).
• The Hope and Healing Center provides a safe environment and basic necessities for 10 orphans aged 14 to 17, along with humanitarian aid, psychological support, legal assistance, educational support, and skill-building workshops in photography, financial literacy, technical skills, culinary arts, art therapy, and agriculture.
• The Early Birds initiative distributes 480 specialized care packages for premature infants, including diapers, blankets, hygiene essentials, and therapeutic toys, while also providing continuous psychological consultations and guidance on accessing state services and post-discharge care.