Context
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, children have been among the most severely affected groups. More than 2 million children require humanitarian aid while thousands live displaced, without stable caregiving, and exposed to trauma, disrupted education, and heightened risks of exploitation.
In Kyiv, the Service for Children and Families currently supports 130 children and adolescents in 19 family-type homes and 200 children and adolescents in 4 institutional facilities (aged 6 to 18 years). Many of these structures lack proper shelters, adequate resources, and psychosocial support, leaving children highly vulnerable.
Objectives
General Objective:
To enhance protection, educational continuity, and psychosocial well-being for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in Kyiv, while strengthening the capacity of local institutions to provide sustainable child protection services.
Specific Objectives:
- Improving psychosocial well-being and protection of children.
- Guaranteeing access to inclusive and quality education.
- Strengthening the institutional capacity of child protection services.
- Improving safety and child-friendliness of residential care settings.
Activities
- Psychosocial support (MHPSS): Individual counselling, group therapy, SMART method therapeutic rooms, art therapy, recreational activities.
- Education and digital inclusion: Provision of laptops and tablets, blended catch-up education, summer camps, cultural exchange with Taiwan.
- Institutional capacity-building: IT equipment, training for 200 staff members (MHPSS, digital literacy, case management, English), exchange visit to WeWorld’s Spazio Donna in Italy.
- Infrastructure improvement: Renovation of shelters and safe spaces, furnishing of child-friendly spaces, provision of 10 minivans for family-type homes.
- Awareness and advocacy: Storytelling campaigns, exhibitions, media outreach, public events in Ukraine, Taiwan, and Italy.
