Helping the children of Heroes: from basic needs to psychological and educational support

After the start of full-scale war, thousands of Ukrainian children lost one or both parents. This project is being implemented specifically for this category of children – wards of the UCF Children of Heroes, who lost one or both parents as a result of the war in Ukraine.

For a child, the loss of a father or mother is not only a deep pain, but a complete change of reality. The feeling of security, stability, and support disappears. Families often find themselves in a difficult financial situation, forced to change their place of residence and adapt to new conditions. Children experience loss in conditions of constant instability, which increases anxiety and affects their education and development.

The aim of the project is to provide comprehensive support to more than a thousand children under the care of the Foundation who have lost one or both parents due to the war. The support combines psychological counseling, educational assistance, and provision of basic needs for families in crisis situations.

Psychological support helps children cope with loss, reduce anxiety, and gradually restore inner resilience. Without professional support, the pain of loss can turn into a long-term state of isolation and loss of motivation. When a child receives professional support, they begin to see the future again. The project aims to help children overcome their loss and restore their trust in the world over a three-month period. It includes individual psychological therapy for approximately 500 beneficiaries, group sessions with psychologists, as well as lectures and seminars for participants.

Educational assistance helps children keep up with their development. Due to the war, many children have had to interrupt their education, and after losing their parents, it is especially difficult for them to concentrate and make plans for the future. Additional classes and educational support help restore confidence and a sense of the future. The project will provide access to education and skills development for the future through 3-4-month educational courses, including English language learning and speech therapy support for children who need it.

Supporting the basic needs of families is also an important component. The loss of a breadwinner means financial instability, and in wartime, families face additional challenges related to health, safety, and disruptions to critical infrastructure. The project provides the necessary support to help reduce the daily burden on families and create a minimum level of stability for children. In particular, it provides the necessary support to families with food, medicine, hygiene products, clothing, bedding, medical care, rehabilitation, and basic household needs, as well as the purchase of charging stations to help families stay safe and connected and enable children to continue their education during power outages and interruptions in electricity supply.

The story of Kyrylo, one of the Foundation's beneficiaries, shows why such support is critically important:

Kyrylo is 14 years old. He lost his father in the war, and his family was forced to move several times. Constant changes in his environment and the loss he experienced affected his motivation to study and his vision of the future. Thanks to systematic psychological and educational support, Kyrylo has gradually regained his inner balance. Today, he is intensively studying English, additionally studying history, and dreams of becoming a diplomat. For him, this is a way to be useful to his country and work for peace.

As part of the project, more than a thousand children under the Foundation's care – children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the war in Ukraine – will receive comprehensive support. For each of them, this is an opportunity not to be left alone with their pain, to continue their education, and to feel stability even in difficult circumstances. By supporting these children today, we are preserving their potential and laying the foundation for the country's future recovery.