Advocacy for Family-Based Care: Experience for Communities in Eastern Ukraine
NGO Responsible Citizens systematically works to ensure that children in the communities of Eastern Ukraine have a safe environment and favorable conditions.
We believe that every child should grow up in a family, surrounded by care and love, even in the most difficult times. That is why our team strengthens the capacity of specialists who work daily to protect children’s rights.
Recently, Maryna Solona, a social work specialist from our team in Dnipropetrovsk region, completed an induction training “Advocacy in Communities: Development of Family-Based Care and Foster Care” within the project “RETURN: Ukraine – Family – Home”, supported by UNICEF Ukraine and partners.
Participants learned how to build effective advocacy campaigns, engage stakeholders, overcome barriers, and protect the interests of children at the local level. In times of war, such knowledge is particularly valuable, as many families are forced to separate, and the development of family-based and foster care helps children gain stability, care, and a sense of home.
Maryna emphasizes that the acquired experience will serve as a basis for introducing new approaches in communities and will contribute to creating conditions where every child can grow up in a family.
The project “RETURN: Ukraine – Family – Home” is implemented jointly by UNICEF Ukraine, Partnership Every Child, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, the State Service of Ukraine for Children’s Affairs, the National Social Service of Ukraine, and the Coordination Center for the Development of Family Care and Child Upbringing, with financial support from Irish Aid and the U.S. Government.
Більше новин
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Emergency Cash Assistance for People Affected by Shelling in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia RegionsThe NGO “Responsible Citizens,” in partnership with Mercy Corps Ukraine, provides emergency cash assistance to residents of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts whose homes were damaged or destroyed as a result of shelling. The support is aimed at rapid response and covering the most urgent needs of affected families.
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Inclusive Education Professionals in Zaporizhzhia Explored Modern Approaches to Supporting Children with SENInclusive education specialists in Zaporizhzhia took part in a professional training dedicated to modern approaches to corrective and developmental work and to supporting children with special educational needs (SEN). The event focused on practical tools, case-based learning, and methods for building inclusive educational environments in everyday practice.
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The Selection Committee Selected Projects to Receive Mini-Grants in Communities of the Kharkiv RegionThe project is implemented by the NGO Responsible Citizens in partnership with JERU – Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine (Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide) with financial support from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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A working meeting between the UNICEF team and the NGO “Responsible Citizens” took place in KramatorskDuring the visit, the Head of the UNICEF Ukraine Office, Munir Mammadzade, together with colleagues, visited a Child-Friendly Space implemented within the framework of a joint project with UNICEF, where they met with specialists of mobile teams.
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A cash assistance programme for war-affected families has been launched in three regions of UkraineIn February 2026, Responsible Citizens NGO, in partnership with Acted and with the support of the US Government, launched a humanitarian cash assistance programme for families affected by the war in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Donetsk regions.
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Social Services for Children and Families During the War: Training for Communities Held in Zaporizhzhia OblastThe event was held within the framework of the UNICEF project “Protection Services for the Most Vulnerable Children and Parents (or Their Caregivers) in Communities of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts”, implemented by Responsible Citizens NGO with the financial support of the United States Government and UNICEF.
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“At the very moment when we needed it most, help came to us,” — Maryna from NovodonetskeThe work is carried out within the framework of the UNICEF Ukraine project “Strengthening Community Capacity to Deliver Essential Protection and Resilience Services in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions,” implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” with the support of the Government of the United States of America
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“I regained the ability to enjoy the little things,” — Valentyna, RomnySince the beginning of autumn, our mobile teams of psychologists and facilitators have been visiting communities where people live under constant stress caused by the war and often have no access to professional support. This became possible thanks to the project implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” in partnership with JERU – Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine, a joint initiative of Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide — with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office.