Helping children in Dnipro who are separated from their parents

Care in Action is helping vulnerable children forced to flee their homes due to the fighting on the front, in partnership with the charitable organisation Maximum in Dnipro. These children are separated from their parents, far from home, and in the temporary care of a relative or volunteer. Care in Action is employing a full-time Social Worker, offering activities to children and guardians, and providing aid such as food and clothes to meet the children’s basic needs.

Our joint work over the past six months has provided essential aid and psychological support for 37 children and their carers. The goal is to help the carers become self-sufficient in meeting the children’s needs which in turn enables us to extend our services to even more vulnerable children. We are happy to see that 40% of families have become secure and no longer need our financial aid. While the stories of the children are heartbreaking, our program is providing the help they need.

One of the children is a 12-year-old girl from Bakhmut who fled with her grandmother to Dnipro. Her mother stayed behind as the family did not have enough money for all of them to evacuate. Soon after arriving in Dnipro, they learned that the mother had been killed in a bombing. Our program volunteers have been a life-line for them—helping the grandmother collect the necessary documents for guardianship of her granddaughter, providing professional counseling, and involving the granddaughter in social activities.

Another of the children is an 11-year-old girl from the Donetsk region who fled with her sister and toddler niece. Her mother, who is an intensive care nurse, stayed behind to work helping save the lives of injured soldiers. This girl now regularly attends the crisis day center and participates in many of the activities, and it is wonderful to see that she has made close friends there.

"Children who were left without a home, who have no friends here, have found support in your organization. I am very happy that they are surrounded by attentive and caring people." Valentina

“Your project provided our children with the opportunity to remain children even in the time of war. You, like magicians, fulfil their wishes: various creative workshops, roller skating, archery, wonderful gifts and many other things. Thank you for taking care of our children." Tamara

“Your project came just at the right time! My grandson, Pavlo, who is 10, did not have contact with children his age at our shelter. We attend all your events with great pleasure. Pavlo likes it very much. He becomes more calm and responsible, thanks to your support and kindness for children. We thank you very much!" Olga

Care in Action first worked with Maximum in 2019, when we launched the Providing a Secure Base training course for foster parents, which we developed for Ukraine from the model produced by the University of East Anglia. At the height of the humanitarian crisis in 2022 we worked together to provide food for desperate families. Our current project in Dnipro is an excellent example of the growth of these partnerships which multiplies our impact and ability to reach the most vulnerable children in Ukraine.

Given the success of the program so far, and the number of children who are separated from their parents, our local partners will work with the child protection services in Dnipro to identify more children in need of services. We are asking for help to fund this project, as we see it is possible to give children security at a crucial time when they have been separated from their parents due to war.

If you would like to help, please donate, or write to Jasmine Lehnis for more information at [email protected].