Integrated Support for Families in Kharkiv Region: Case Management, Cash Assistance and Art Rehabilitation

Since October 2025, the non-governmental organization “Responsible Citizens” has been implementing the project “Comprehensive Multi-Sectoral Assistance for Vulnerable Families in the Kharkiv Region,” which is carried out with the support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. The initiative brings together the efforts of several partner organizations to provide comprehensive, coordinated assistance to families affected by the war and in difficult life circumstances.

Within the project, the non-governmental organization “Responsible Citizens” works with families using the case management methodology, the charitable foundation “Unity for the Future” provides multi-purpose cash assistance, and the charitable organization “Charitable Foundation ‘Development and Social Justice of Ukraine’” ensures art rehabilitation activities for children and conducts trainings for parents on psychological first aid, etc.

The project is implemented in the Rohanska, Balakliiska, Savynska, Kolomatska and Zmiivska communities of the Kharkiv Region — territories where the consequences of the armed conflict continue to significantly affect the well-being of families with children and access to basic social and psychological services. One of the key components of the initiative is case management — an approach that allows working with each family individually, taking into account its real needs, risks and resources. The mobile team, together with the family, identifies priority needs, forms a clear support plan, organizes referrals to relevant services and specialists, and accompanies the family at every stage, ensuring safety and confidentiality.

During the implementation period of the project, 62 families were covered by the case management service, among them internally displaced families, families raising children with developmental disorders and/or disabilities, as well as families where there is a risk of placing a child in institutional care. For these families, comprehensive support has become not only an opportunity to receive specific services but also a way to restore a sense of stability, predictability and control over their own lives.

“Case management is about people, about the challenges they face every day, about their stories and successes. We work with real families and real life situations. Together we analyze difficult circumstances, look for not only problems but also support and resources. Step by step, with support and trust, changes appear,” commented Alevtyna Zhembotska, project manager of the NGO “Responsible Citizens.”

The combination of cash support, psychosocial, legal, corrective services, as well as social support for families with children allows the project to respond to needs comprehensively and in a timely manner.