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The War Has Changed the Childhood of Thousands of Ukrainian Children

June 25, 2026

Constant air raid alerts and shellings have affected not only their overall sense of safety but also their access to in-person education, communication, and more sopsychological support, especially of families raising children with disabilities, facing difficult life circumstances, and being internally displaced. They most need comprehensive support, particularly for educational, developmental, and psychosocial services.

This need was identified by the Hearts in Hands NGO, which works in Odesa oblast. The team already had experience supporting such families and understood the importance of expanding its activities.

With support from Caritas Odesa  through the National PULSE Consortium, the organisation was able to do it and implement the Inclusive Space for Psychosocial Resilience project.

Both of the centre’s offices were damaged by shellings. The first office was completely destroyed. The team then moved to another location, but during the winter, its windows were also damaged by a blast wave. Despite this, the team continued its work, returning every day and providing support both online and in person whenever possible.

Thanks to their efforts, more than 230 children gained access to psychological support, educational activities, and a safe environment for development.

The specialists enthusiastically say that the children have become more confident, improved their academic performance, and are now more actively involved in the hromada’s life. Parents, meanwhile, gained access to support that can often be difficult to find independently, while the hromada became more open to recognising the importance of psychosocial assistance.

“These results speak best of the value of a comprehensive approach and of our work as a whole”, the centre’s specialists say.

This project was funded with UK aid from the UK Government within the National PULSE Consortium, coordinated by Right to Protection. UK Government support to this project in Ukraine is provided through the SHARP element of its Humanitarian Assistance, Recovery and Protection Programme.