Ukraine

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Like many of the Soviet Union's former republics, Ukraine is struggling to cope with the unprecedented changes brought about by independence.

Economic and social systems have
collapsed resulting in a dramatic increase
in unemployment and consequent increase
in alcohol and drug abuse.

This situation, along with young parents being forced to seek employment abroad, is leading to family breakdown and a generation of children growing up without their parents.

In 1998, faced with the growing problem of young children seperated from their families and rising numbers of institutionalised children, the government invited us to establish a childcare programme in Ukraine. Now, nearly nine years on, we have expanded our original projects and we are working in partnership with other international organisations and local authorities in 13 regions across Ukraine.

Closing Institutions
We are working to close down institutions by establishing alternative childcare services. So far, we have created 65 family type homes across 13 different counties which are providing loving, stable environments for children to grow up in.

We have also conducted training sessions for institution staff and government officials on closing institutions. These have proved highly successful in showing the benefits of alternative family care.

Preventative Services: Mother and Baby Unit
Hope and Homes for Children opened the first Mother and Baby Unit in Ukraine. Working with hospitals and maternity wards we assess and assist vulnerable families to prevent child abandonment, thereby breaking the cycle of institutionalisation. The Unit gives vulnerable mothers and their newly-born babies the chance to stay in a secure and safe place for the first few months after birth. This allows them to form a strong bond, preventing the child from being abandoned and gives us time to help them plan their future. The Unit also offers counselling and practical advice on accessing benefits, registering new-borns and establishing property rights.