This situation, combined with the need for many young parents to seek employment abroad, led to an increase in the breakdown of the family, and a significant number of children growing up without parental care.

There are an estimated 110,000 children growing up in 669 institutions in Ukraine, and 25,000 children living alone. In addition, 5,000 babies are currently living in baby institutions, and approximately 1,000 newborn babies are abandoned every year.

Our work in Ukraine

In 1998, faced with the rising number of children growing up in institutions, the Government of Ukraine invited us to develop their family-based childcare projects that were alternatives to institutional care. With this in mind, we demonstrated our Small Family Homes model.

To date, we have prevented over 700 children from spending their childhood in institutions, developing a network of Small Family Homes. Additionally, we have developed Mother and Baby Units that provide support for vulnerable young mothers who would otherwise be forced to abandon their babies.

The Government has declared our Mother and Baby Units as a national model they wish to spread throughout Ukraine. The Government has since created fifteen Mother and Baby Units across the country. To support this initiative, we have created the official training course and best practice guidelines.

Due to the success we have had in setting up these childcare services, which are an integral part of the deinstitutionalisation process, we have secured the first ever agreement to close an institution in Ukraine. A key part of this project will be the development of a social services centre which will be the first of its kind in Ukraine. The centre will be home to a range of services that will enable children from the Barvinok institution to return to their families and will mean that no child from the Makariv region of Ukraine will ever have to live in an institution again.

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