Ukraine launches an initiative aimed at overcoming orphanhood and supporting large foster families
The Ruslan Shostak Charitable Foundation has launched the project Family. From Orphanhood to Family, aimed at addressing the issue of orphanhood in Ukraine — in particular, creating favorable conditions for Ukrainians to welcome more children from institutional care into their families.
The goal of the project is to create an environment in which no child grows up in isolation within institutions, but instead has a chance for a childhood filled with care and family warmth.
The initiative focuses on developing family-based forms of upbringing. This includes supporting foster, patronage, and adoptive families, as well as strengthening large foster families and providing them with comprehensive assistance.
Family. From Orphanhood to Family envisions creating dignified living conditions for foster families, promoting their social integration, and developing opportunities for every family willing and able to raise more children. It also provides social, educational, and psychological support to children and families, along with organizing rehabilitation programs for orphans, children deprived of parental care, children of servicemen, and those affected by the war.
“The goal of the Ruslan Shostak Charitable Foundation is to give every Ukrainian child the chance to grow up in a family — to ensure their right to family warmth, safety, comfort, and development. That’s why we have launched the large-scale project Family. From Orphanhood to Family. It consists of several components focused on promoting adoption, supporting existing large foster families, and implementing social, educational, and health initiatives that will improve the lives of Ukrainian children today. We have deep expertise in working with orphans, children deprived of parental care, and large foster families. At the beginning of the full-scale war, we organized the largest evacuation of orphans since World War II under the project Childhood Without War. Together with our partners, we provided shelter, education, and living conditions for 3,500 children and their caregivers in Türkiye for over 1,000 days,” said Yevheniia But, CEO of the Ruslan Shostak Charitable Foundation.
The first step of the project will be initiatives to provide large foster families with the transportation they need — specifically, minivans and minibuses with up to 12 seats. These vehicles will make such families more mobile. Large foster families typically raise between five and ten children and often live in rural areas or small towns, so having their own safe, reliable, and spacious vehicle is their only way to travel for errands, medical appointments, education, or recreation as a family. In addition, having a personal vehicle will serve as motivation for families to expand and welcome more children in need of family care from institutions.
Support the project at the link.
Background
The Ruslan Shostak Charitable Foundation was established at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. From the very beginning, the Foundation has focused on helping orphans, children deprived of parental care, and children from families in difficult life circumstances. Today, the Foundation’s key priority is developing family-based forms of care and creating conditions for a safe and happy future for such families.
One of its flagship initiatives, Childhood Without War, helped more than 3,500 children and their caregivers find safe refuge in Türkiye, where they spent over 1,000 days in peace, receiving necessary care, education, and development opportunities.
The Foundation also supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine by providing vehicles through the HeroCar project.