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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Experts from Responsible Citizens NGO Joined a Workshop on Group Cash Transfers and Community Initiatives in KyivThe event was organized by the Alliance of Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations and the Ukrainian Red Cross in partnership with DCA, JERU – Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine, ZOA, and the Cash Working Group (CWG). The programme covered key aspects of GCT implementation: from targeting and application screening to accountability, risk management, and impact assessment.
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How cash assistance is being delivered in Donetsk communities during the warBeing close to people in critical moments — this is the goal of the project “Localized, Inclusive and Multisectoral Emergency Assistance to War-Affected Populations in Ukraine”, implemented in Donetsk Oblast by the NGO Responsible Citizens, in partnership with Mercy Corps, and with financial support from the UK Government.
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‘Responsible Citizens’ Board Head joins mental health events led by Olena ZelenskaOlga Kosse participated in events dedicated to World Mental Health Day in Kyiv.
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Space of opportunities: how UNICEF and partners are saving children’s futures“Mom, when are we going to the Space again?” — Sashko eagerly awaits each visit because it was there that he truly started speaking for the first time.
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Dnipropetrovsk region: Systematic support for children and families in a frontline areaThe teams of the NGO Responsible Citizens work in areas where the social burden increases every day. This is where Child-Friendly Spaces and mobile psychosocial support teams operate most actively. In the first half of 2025, nearly 10,000 children and their families received professional support.
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Support is underway in communities of the Kharkiv Region to assist children and families affected by the warIn partnership with Save the Children in Ukraine, and with the generous support of the American people provided through the Government of the United States of America, activities are being implemented to strengthen child protection, support children’s well-being, and improve families’ access to psychosocial services.
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Announcing the Start of the Mini-Grants Program for the Communities of Kharkiv RegionAttention! The mini-grants program is only for residents of the Zolochivska, Shevchenkivska, Vilkhuvatska, and Velykoburlutska communities.
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In Kryvyi Rih, our team took part in the socio-educational hub “Together for the Child”The event was organized to mark the International Day of the Social Pedagogue, celebrated on October 2.