"From house to home": Olena Zelenska Foundation and UNICEF launch a joint initiative to improve living conditions for children in large foster families

KYIV, 07 July 2025 - The Olena Zelenska Foundation, in partnership with UNICEF, has launched a joint initiative to transform living conditions for children growing up in large foster families across Ukraine.

The presentation of the initiative took place during an online meeting with the participation of Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, Shameza Abdulla, UNICEF Representative (a.i.) to Ukraine, heads of regional administrations, and heads of children's services departments.

The initiative, "From house to home", aims to create safe, nurturing and family-like environments for children to develop and thrive despite the ongoing challenges caused by the war.

In 2024, with funding provided through a state budget subvention to local budgets under the initiative of Ministry of Social Policy, 57 residential premises were acquired to house large foster families displaced from frontline regions or returning to Ukraine from abroad. This year, the initiative aims to secure nearly 124 living spaces for existing and newly established large foster families.

For these houses to become real homes for children, it is important to properly equip them and support the families. The ‘From House to Home’ initiative ensures that houses are properly furnished to meet children’s basic needs and uphold a dignified standard of living.  The goal is to create an atmosphere of comfort and stability for every child, so they can grow up feeling safe, valued, and at home.

"For us, it’s not just about providing children with a roof over their heads but creating an environment where they feel the warmth of a family, safety, and opportunities for development. The Olena Zelenska Foundation supports large foster families, provides them with humanitarian support, and actively promotes the development of family-based care in Ukraine. The 'From House to Home' initiative is an important step in supporting large foster families and a continuation of our work in this direction," emphasized Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.

"Upholding every child's right to grow up in a caring family is a systematic and large-scale effort. The ongoing war contributes to making it even more complicated. To achieve results, we must unite our efforts and seek solutions together. 'From house to home' is a collaboration that improves conditions for raising children. We are grateful to the Olena Zelenska Foundation, UNICEF, and all partners for their support," says Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Minister of Social Policy for European Integration.

Families will be able to independently determine their priority needs based on individual assessments conducted by partner organizations. In addition, the initiative envisages providing social services and psychological support from teams of specialists, including throughpartner organizations.

"Family love, care, and a true home are the cornerstones of a child’s well-being and the best start in life," said Shameza Abdulla, UNICEF Representative (a.i.) to Ukraine. "UNICEF is committed to ensuring these families receive not only a safe home but also the vital support they need to nurture their children, fostering a sense of security and care." added Abdulla. 

Families will receive relevant furniture and equipment over the coming months, as well as case management and psychological support, which will enable children to feel at home and adapt to the new conditions quickly.

The "From House to Home" initiative is implemented in support of the state programme  with the involvement of various partners. The programme includes the participation of numerous partners on the ground, in particular MBO "Partnership "For Every Child", GS "Ukrainian Network for Children's Rights", NGO "League of Social Workers of Ukraine", NGO "Responsible Citizens", BO "BF "Ridni"", MBF "Ukrainian foundation for public health", MBO "BF SOS Children's Villages” Ukraine, BO "Volunteers: Adults to children", RM "Caritas-Spes" RCC in Ukraine, NGO "Social Synergy".

This work is made possible thanks to strong partnerships and support from the Government of Poland and other international partners.