Help for foster children with disabilities
Aid program: “In the family circle”
Location: Ukraine, Russia
In the post-Soviet states, orphans with disabilities rarely find a new home, as few families feel prepared for this responsibility or have the necessary resources.
If an orphan with a disability is nevertheless taken into a foster family, it is a happy ending — but also just the beginning of many daily challenges for the child and their new foster family. Settling into a new family environment, accessing appropriate rehabilitation, and securing a good education in a new place — these are just a few of the hurdles along the way.
We want to give foster children in Ukraine and Russia the smoothest possible start to their new lives. To this end, we contribute, for example, to the costs of rehabilitation, support, care, and assistive devices. Help us to support these children on their new journey through life!
Here you will find some examples of our aid missions:
Psychological support for foster children
We have launched a new project in the Kharkiv region. A mobile social-psychological team now regularly visits foster families who have recently taken in orphaned children.
Supporting foster families is crucial to help traumatised children and their new foster parents adjust. Without this support, there is a risk of overwhelm or even the children being returned to orphanages. The mobile team will care for about 60 foster children over the course of a year.
Active wheelchair for Valeria
Little Valeria is a 6-year-old girl from an orphanage in the Kemerovo region of Russia. She was born with a spinal deformity and cannot walk.
A while ago, Valeria was placed with an experienced foster family who are already raising a foster daughter with a similar disability.
She needed a light and manoeuvrable active wheelchair to move around independently. We contributed to the cost of this wheelchair. We are happy that the girl can now actively explore the world.
Rehabilitation for Maryam
Maryam’s life began in a neonatal intensive care unit in Russia, where she was on mechanical ventilation. Maryam’s mother cared for her around the clock, but she ignored signs of her own illness for too long. When she finally went to the doctor, it was too late. At only one and a half years old, Maryam became an orphan and was placed in an orphanage.
But a guardian angel gave Maryam a second chance: she found a loving foster family.
Maryam suffers from cerebral palsy and needs regular rehabilitation to learn how to walk. We have already covered part of her rehab costs several times.
Rehabilitation for Alia
From her very first breath, doctors noticed that little Alia had health problems. Her mother, who only had a temporary stay in Russia as a guest worker, left the child at the birth centre.
But Alia was lucky. A foster mother, who had lost her own children, heard about the little girl and took her into her foster family.
In cases of cerebral palsy like Alia’s, rehabilitation requires not only muscle strengthening but also stabilization of muscle tone. We helped cover the cost of a special rehabilitation course for her.
Donate to support foster children with disabilities
Support our “In the family circle” program with a one-time or monthly donation! Small but regular contributions help us respond quickly and flexibly to the current rehabilitation and educational needs of foster children with disabilities, and allow us to plan our support in the long term.
The following payment methods are available: PayPal or bank transfer.
Thank you for your support!
