Chatbot helps to protect children amid horrors of war
A chatbot is helping social services to find solutions for children who have been left without parental care due to the war in Ukraine.
- Українська
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Thousands of children have been left without parental care due to the war in Ukraine. Some lost contact with their family when they were evacuated. Others lost their parents forever. Now, a chatbot called ‘Leave No Child Alone’ is finding solutions for them.
Olena Tsyvkovska, a social worker from Merefa in the Kharkivska region, recently used the tool to help a 15-year-old boy to find a temporary home.
"The mother said she didn't want to take him to Germany and left him in Merefa,” recalls Olena. “She told us, ‘Do whatever you want with the child.’”
Thanks to the chatbot, Olena quickly found a family willing to take care of the boy. They are now planning to adopt him as soon as martial law ends.
The ‘Leave No Child Alone’ project was launched by UNICEF Ukraine, the Office of the President of Ukraine and the Ministry of Social Policy. Through it, families can offer children a temporary home, thereby saving them from institutional care facilities.
Larysa Skrypnyk, who works for the Children's Service, says there are many people willing to shelter a child. The chatbot makes it easier and helps children find a family faster.
"We received a list of candidates who registered in the chatbot and got trained,” says Larysa. “Later, some of these families refused to offer their homes to children, because they were left without a job because of the war. But there are still many people willing to help kids."
Through the chatbot, a family can notify social services about their intention to shelter a child. They can also find all necessary information about family forms of education. There are separate sections on how to act if your child is lost or if you have found a child. Children's services can select candidates from those who have applied and provide training, preparing them for welcoming a child into their family.
According to the project's rules, a child may stay at their temporary home until the end of martial law, except in cases where relatives of a child are found. If, after the end of the war, a child's relatives cannot be found, a temporary family will have the priority right to adoption.
UNICEF estimates that, so far, over 2,000 families across Ukraine have received special training after applying to the chatbot and are ready to provide shelter to children.
