While we have every intent of providing various forms of help, hope, and healing to a massive number of children throughout Ukraine who suffer daily hardships resulting from the Russian invasion, we do not simply want to give them handouts, but provide them with a host of resources to help transform their lives from the ashes of war, poverty, and various other hardships.

An estimated 500,000 children in Ukraine are experiencing severe hardships and daily adversities such as parental neglect, abuse, and abandonment; physical illness, disabilities, and malnutrition; psychological trauma, and much more. These challenges have been greatly intensified by a critical lack of basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter.

Chronic issues facing Ukraine such as poverty, corruption, ruling-class greed, unhealthy social values, and poor parental training have plagued this region for decades before it was further destabilized by the Russian invasion. The war has intensified these pre-existing hardships leading to family separations, loss of employment, economic upheaval, forced displacement as well as loss of parents, families, homes, villages, and farmlands.

If we choose to turn aside and ignore what we know to be true, these precious children will continue to suffer from insufficient access to: life-saving healthcare and medical supplies; vital education and vocational training; rehabilitation for physical and emotional trauma; inadequate nutrition, clothing, and shelter; parental neglect, abuse, and abandonment; and vulnerability to childhood exploitation, organ harvesting, and sex trafficking.

When you choose to act, children in Ukraine will experience some measure of life-changing transformation in the form of relief from their suffering, improvement of their circumstances, physical, psychological, and familial health, vocational training, and hope for a better future without having to leave their homeland.

Over 100,000 children are living outside of standard family circumstances of various types of which 6,324 children have the status of orphan and can be adopted; another 64,996 orphans are under guardianship or are being raised in family settings. https://worldwithoutorphans.org/about/europe/country/people_organization/13598

In Ukraine, other than orphanages, boarding schools, foster families, and adoptions exist to care for orphaned children. There are approximately 3,500 foster families with about 6,500 children in foster care homes. There are about 1,100 family-type children's homes with about 7,400 children in them. There are about 81 patronage families with about 256 children in them. https://worldwithoutorphans.org/about/europe/country/people_organization/13598

Before the war, there were about 5,000 orphans who were in legitimate orphanages, meaning children who have the status of an orphan, so they don't have parents. And another 60,000 children were in various family placement homes, adoption or foster families. So, before the war, there were about 65,000 children that were orphans in some manner. (Based on an October 2023 interview with Yuriy Marynchak, Executive Director of My Home Ministry in Ukraine – https://myhomeministry.org.ua/en)

The war has created around 15,000 new orphans. The official statistics state about 10,000 - 12,000 children, but to be considered an orphan the child has to be registered and have a complete set of documents. According to various data from various sources, around 5,000 children have yet to complete there paperwork. (Based on an October 2023 interview with Yuriy Marynchak, Executive Director of My Home Ministry in Ukraine – https://myhomeministry.org.ua/en)

UCAF works with trusted Ukrainian partners in the major regions of Kiev, Odesa, and Kherson.