78 Foster families are helped through war-time challenges

78 Foster families express their gratitude for the material and psychological support that we are offering in wartime in five regions of Ukraine. Financial support has enabled foster parents to buy food, shoes, tablets for school and medical care. One family bought a trampoline to help reduce stress for their children and refugees staying with them. The foster parents wrote heart-felt messages to express how much we have helped and to explain the challenges they are facing:

“Dear Care in Action team, thank you sincerely for the support of our Family-Style Orphanage, which is located in Peremyshlyany district, Lviv region. During this war in Ukraine, it is quite difficult for everyone, but especially for orphans, so we try to do everything to make them feel safe and not feel the lack of the most important things. In addition, we accepted refugees with small children from other parts of Ukraine who ran away from Russian attacks.

Your donation was very necessary for us, because the prices in Ukraine have increased a lot and we used your donation for groceries. Because of stress and disquiet, it is necessary to provide children with good and wholesome food, which we try to do thanks to your donation. We thank you sincerely and may the Lord reward your good actions, for as the Lord says: “Everything you have done to one of my least brothers, you have done to me”.” - Margareta, foster mother

Our mission is to prepare children to succeed in life: in addition to our 5 existing therapist-led support groups, we are launching 4 new groups for carers. These 9 groups, led by experts, help foster and refugee parents to find solutions for children's care and development. These groups also help carers with the moral support and self-care techniques that help them to avoid burnout. Participants come from the regions of Lviv, Zakarpattia, Ivano Frankivsk, Volyn and Rivne.

“Thank you for your psychological support. This helps me to keep calm and gives me the opportunity to care for my children and to help other refugee families.” - Inna, foster mother

“Thank you for your financial support. It helps us to buy food, hygiene products for my big foster family as well as families who came to us from Mariupol and Zaporizhzhya. Especially thank Iryna (Care in Action Coordinator) for her support. She has a big heart and understands us and has patience to listen to us.” Faustina, mother fostering 10 children

We are developing a programme of support for children who normally live in care institutions, because of poverty, social problems, or because they are orphans. These children have been sent to live with relatives, as the care institutions are now functioning as refugee camps. Our goal is to ensure these children have enough food, and to employ a Social Worker to support their welfare.

From our experience during Covid times, when children were also sent away from care institutions, we know that delivering food parcels is an important first step to ensuring children’s welfare and to getting to know families. This resulted in identifying mothers who were capable of caring for all of their children if they had food security, or in some cases house repairs.

We will continue to work to improve children’s security, access to education and care within a family. Thank you to every donor who makes this possible.