The “Education, Formation, and Child Protection” program by Caritas focuses on enhancing the potential of children and youth, empowering them, and expanding their rights and opportunities. It promotes personal development and resilience among children through social-emotional learning, psychological support, and non-formal education.
The program supports children, youth, and parents in overcoming crises, stabilizing, becoming more resilient, and improving their well-being. It ensures access to high-quality and effective services tailored to their needs, meeting state standards and provided by the Caritas Ukraine network with the support of local communities and institutions.
Relevance of the need
Ukraine’s education system has been severely affected by the escalation of war since February 24, 2022. More than 1.5 million children require support to cope with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Interruptions in the educational process due to ongoing shelling exacerbate the situation. According to the 2024 Humanitarian Situation Overview, approximately 5.3 million preschool and school-aged children and teachers have been negatively affected by the war, including 4.8 million children in urgent need of educational support and 480,000 children with disabilities and special educational needs.
Children display mental and physical signs of stress and heightened anxiety due to the war, posing a significant barrier to their social and emotional development.
Key current issues in Ukraine’s education sector include:
- Children, parents, and guardians across Ukraine continue to face threats to life and health during the educational process due to social isolation, psychological exhaustion, and fear during regular air raid alerts.
- Parents observe visible signs of stress and increased anxiety in their children, reporting sensitivity to loud noises and sleep disturbances. They unanimously emphasize the need for daily professional psychological assistance for their children, underscoring the importance of activities that allow children to play and experience the joys of childhood.
- Increasing numbers of children have limited access to school education due to:
- Destruction of educational facilities and infrastructure.
- Mine hazards in frontline regions.
- Lack of transportation in remote rural areas.
- Insufficient devices for remote education across Ukraine.
- Barriers for children with disabilities.
- Schools face diminished capacity to provide adequate quality education due to general professional burnout among teachers, lack of knowledge on working with children in constant stress, children who have experienced traumatic events, suffered educational losses, or been forcibly displaced.
Strategic goals
Caritas Ukraine’s strategic goals for the “Education, Formation, and Child Protection” program include three types of interventions:
Program components
To achieve these goals, the program’s strategic activities include:
- Ensuring a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for children affected by the war: Creating and maintaining child-friendly spaces, organizing violence prevention activities, and conducting awareness and educational sessions on safety and protection.
- Social-emotional learning, psychosocial support, and emotional intelligence development: Conducting individual and group psychosocial support activities, teaching resilience, problem-solving, and fostering positive coping strategies.
- Material and technical support and educational programs: Providing materials for repairs and equipping educational institutions, as well as supplying children with educational tools, including technology, furniture, books, and stationery.
- Catch-up and non-formal education, career guidance, and life skills development: Organizing extracurricular social centers and clubs, non-formal education, preschool education, financial literacy training, eco-education, and career guidance.
- Fostering a safe, supportive, and nurturing family environment: Conducting parent awareness sessions, case management for families, and social support for crisis-affected families.
- Enhancing integration, cultural formation, and social activity of children and youth: Organizing sports events, supporting child and youth initiatives, and arranging camps and integration activities.
- Enhancing the qualifications of professionals to ensure the quality of psychosocial and educational services for children and families: Training educators and social workers, providing training for Caritas network staff, and sharing best practices.
- Developing, improving, and harmonizing standards for service provision, methodologies, and technologies for working with children: Supporting education and child protection systems, promoting deinstitutionalization for at-risk children, creating interaction networks at the community and state levels, and developing methodological standards and supporting new projects.
Beneficiaries
The program covers a wide range of children and families who face difficulties and require special support. Its beneficiaries include vulnerable and conflict-affected boys and girls of various ages (0-18 years), including internally displaced persons (IDPs), people in transit, local residents, parents/guardians, other family members, and local communities.
Specific projects may also target additional vulnerability categories, such as:
The program’s beneficiaries also include teachers and other specialists working with children, for whom training programs, educational and methodological support, and supervision are developed.
Caritas Ukraine pays particular attention to ensuring children’s safety in all its projects, guided by child protection principles and high standards of accountability. The organization adheres to clear rules and protocols to prevent any risks to children. Details on the child protection policy can be found here.
Implementation geography
Program projects
Child and Youth Centers and Child-Friendly Spaces in the Caritas Ukraine network
- Goal: Create a safe environment for children and youth to enhance self-help skills.
- Details: Structured activities using the “Safe Space” methodology developed by the Center for Mental Health of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, focusing on resilience. For teenagers, informal training and activities include career guidance, professional selection tools, motivation for further education, and developing social skills and competencies. Specialists also work with parents affected by war, offering psychological support for loss, stress, and family challenges.
- Goal: Promote the development and resilience of children and foster parental skills within families, alongside non-formal education services and psychosocial support.
- Details: Social educators and psychologists work with children to develop their skills and personal qualities, preparing them for independent life, career guidance, and understanding their societal role. Activities include practical lessons on financial literacy, culinary and creative workshops, training sessions, foreign language courses, cultural events, sports activities, and competitions.
- Goal: Provide access to safe, friendly, inclusive environments for child development, compensating for educational losses, improving psychological resilience, and fostering better relationships among peers, parents, and communities.
- Details: Child-friendly spaces offer social, psychological, and educational assistance to children and their parents. Main activities include psychosocial support, alternative learning opportunities, and educational support for children. The spaces operate both in fixed locations and as mobile units serving host communities and collective shelters for IDPs, enhancing trust and integrating children in need.
Specialists from child-friendly spaces work with children and their parents residing in shelters. In addition to supporting children, project staff train professionals working with children in host communities, such as teachers, caregivers, and healthcare workers. Training topics include child protection, addressing sexual violence, response algorithms for identified child protection risks, bullying, cybersecurity, and more.
- Goal: Improve the social and emotional state of children and adolescents affected by conflict in Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region.
- Details: Stationary child-friendly spaces and mobile groups deliver activities such as social-emotional learning, life skills development sessions, and safety and child protection training. Additionally, children participate in psychosocial support sessions individually or in groups, while parents/guardians receive support on better assisting their children during periods of stress and uncertainty.
Child-friendly space activities are included in various multisectoral projects, such as:
- “Humanitarian Assistance for War-Affected People in Ukraine” (NIN, Caritas Austria)
- “ECHO – Effective Access to Protection and Basic Needs for Conflict-Affected Populations in Frontline Regions of Northern and Central Ukraine” (ECHO, Caritas Austria)
- “Emergency Response 2024” (Emergency Appeal 2024)
- “Specialized Support and Assistance to Children and People with Disabilities and Their Families During Crisis Response in Ukraine (Sumy and Chernihiv Regions)” (Caritas France)
- “Responding to the critical situation of IDPs and affected local populations: strengthening communities in eastern and western regions of Ukraine” (UHF)
- CARE4U “Cash Assistance and Resilience for Ukraine, Phase III” (Swiss Solidarity, Caritas Switzerland)
Support for Crisis-Affected Families
- Goal: Enhance the capacity of families to prevent institutionalization of their children by providing social support and humanitarian assistance.
- Details: The project offers comprehensive support for families and children, including individual counseling, family case management, humanitarian aid, and educational sessions. The program focuses on creating a safe and supportive environment for children, emphasizing positive parenting, resilience, and emotional well-being through educational and informational activities. Additionally, psychological assistance, art therapy, and pedagogical support at Caritas centers help children adapt during wartime.
- Goal: Enable those in need to adapt to life and move forward.
- Details: The project provides housing and basic needs for internally displaced families, especially those in vulnerable categories. Residents receive humanitarian aid, access to social wardrobes, and services from social educators and psychologists. Parents are advised on adaptation strategies and psychological resilience tools, while children participate in art therapy, psychological counseling, and educational activities to help with school integration.
Caritas Rooms in Educational Institutions
- Goal: Promote well-being, resilience, and social cohesion in communities by providing psychosocial support and developing the potential of children, parents, caregivers, and teachers.
- Details: Activities are organized in 18 schools through child-friendly spaces offering after-school recreational activities for school-aged children. The project trained 41 social workers and psychologists to implement the “Safe Space” methodology. Activities include recreational events, safe-space initiatives, social skills development, and stress-relief activities. Masterclasses, creative sessions, training, excursions, holidays, and team-building exercises are also part of the program. Social workers and Caritas psychologists conduct informational sessions for parents on improving their children’s emotional well-being and building resilience. Teachers benefit from supervision, training, development, and support opportunities.
Material Support for Learning
- Goal: Raise funds to provide children from families in difficult circumstances with everything they need for the start of the school year.
- Details: Over 23 years, tens of thousands of schoolchildren have received new backpacks filled with essential stationery. The initiative is implemented through efforts from private individuals, business structures, church communities, and international benefactors. In 2024, Caritas Ukraine distributed 426 fully equipped backpacks at a total value of UAH 1,051,465.62, with support from over 30 local Caritas organizations, benefitting more than 4,600 children.
Innovation and Professional Support for Specialists
- Goal: Create educational tools — stands, cartoons, online courses — that combine problem-based learning, case studies, and gaming technologies to help educators improve their psychological competence and support children in managing stress and mental health challenges.
- Details: The project developed a series of educational stands titled “Mental Health: The Superheroes’ Journey,” helping children better understand their states, resolve problems, improve communication, and manage stress. Six animated films “The Hero’s Path” and an online stress management course for educators on the Prometheus platform were also created.
Camps and Recreation
- Goal: Organize summer camps for children focusing on mental health and psychosocial support.
- Details: Annual summer camps for children affected by war are organized every year by local Caritas initiatives with support from various donors, partners, and parishes. These camps offer children opportunities to explore new hobbies and develop interests through a wide range of activities such as sports, arts, and sciences. Additionally, adults (educators, social workers, and camp organizers) have the chance to deepen their expertise, acquire valuable skills, and enhance personal qualities that can make their lives more meaningful. In 2024, the Caritas network provided recreation for 7,664 children across a variety of camp formats, including international camps, school-based day camps, eco-camps, tent camps, parent-child camps, sports and wellness camps, and others.
- Goal: Promote active recreation and sports among children attending Caritas centers.
- Details: The Caritas Cup is an annual street football tournament for children and teenagers from different parts of Ukraine. It has been held every summer since 2016 with the support of the Ukrainian Football Association and corporate donors. Each year, a fundraising campaign is launched to provide children in football teams with awards and memorable prizes.
Advocacy Component
- Goal: Strengthen resilience among internally displaced persons (IDPs) and socially vulnerable local communities by ensuring access to sustainable social services.
- Details: This project supports the long-term establishment of five existing Caritas social centers through focused advocacy efforts aligned with Ukraine’s national decentralization reform. Intensive advocacy activities aim to secure stable and effective delivery of social services in line with the evolving needs of the affected population.
Forms of Work with Children
- Group activities for developing life and social skills, including adventure pedagogy.
- Educational support and developmental activities.
- Creative workshops and art therapy.
- Role-playing games, movie screenings, quests, flash mobs, and events.
- Educational excursions and career guidance activities.
- Sports clubs and active recreation.
- Rehabilitation and recreational camps.
- Individual counseling.
- Psychosocial sessions to build stress resilience.
- Youth projects in communities.
- Self-organized educational spaces.
- Preschool preparation and development.
- Joint child-parent activities.
- Awareness-raising campaigns and child protection sessions.
Forms of Work with Adults
Program Results
Quantitative Indicators
As part of the program projects, financial and methodological support was provided to:
Achievements in 2024:
- 26,152 children of various ages were reached through child-friendly spaces and youth centers.
- 48,951 events were conducted for children, including lessons in educational institutions, catch-up learning sessions, and informal safety lessons.
- 7,664 children benefited from recreation and rehabilitation in 45 summer camps, including in Italy and Moldova.
- 4,524 personalized kits were distributed to children as part of the “School Backpack” initiative.
- 3,949 parents were provided services, including group sessions, individual consultations, and joint child-parent activities.
- 41 shelters housed internally displaced families with children.
- 1,520 teachers and other specialists received psychosocial support and well-being assistance.
- 342 professional support activities were provided for teachers.
- Staff from 56 child-friendly spaces received training to promote children’s mental health and psychosocial well-being.
Project Participation:
Development Plans
- Ensure sustainability and uninterrupted funding for established services, including covering staff salaries and premises rental costs. Funding gaps lead to loss of specialists, frequent rotations, forced relocations, and damage or loss of essential equipment. Sustained project operations improve children’s well-being during wartime, requiring sufficient time to build relationships, hold regular personal meetings, and conduct uninterrupted group activities.
- Maintain adherence to international standards, ensuring transparency, accountability, and proper communication with beneficiaries, the public, and partners, which demands sufficient resources for the administrative apparatus and support staff, often challenging to secure funding for.
- Equip centers with alternative energy sources, batteries, power banks, diesel generators, and fuel for blackouts, as well as items like lanterns, thermoses, sleeping bags, and blankets to maintain operations during cold seasons.
- Strengthen collaboration with ministries (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry for Reintegration) to harmonize approaches, improve educational and social services, and introduce new initiatives such as the Resilience Center and psychosocial support programs in educational institutions.
- Develop and enhance new educational programs such as Preschool Education, Children’s Entrepreneurship and Career Guidance, Youth Self-Governance, and others.
Program Donors
Thanks to stable support from international partners, Caritas can implement projects in Ukraine and help those most in need. Key donors include Caritas Austria, Caritas Italy, Caritas Germany, Caritas Korea, Caritas Norway, Caritas Slovenia, Caritas Spain, Caritas Sweden, Caritas Romania, Caritas France, Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, Renovabis, KZI, BMZ, CNEWA, KinderMission, Nunciature, UNICEF, UNESCO, UHF, and CRS.
Societal Benefits
Caritas’ educational program has a sustainable impact on communities by fostering knowledge, skills, and opportunities for self-realization. Key outcomes include:
- Improved education levels: The program provides access to quality educational resources, helping children and adults develop essential academic and professional skills for a successful future.
- Enhanced social integration and cohesion: Participation in joint educational activities promotes mutual understanding and social unity, crucial for displaced persons and local communities.
- Reduced barriers to educational and professional opportunities: The program reaches individuals with limited access to education and training, reducing inequality and fostering social justice.
- Improved emotional well-being: Educational initiatives, including psychological support and personal growth activities, help participants reduce stress, rebuild confidence, and feel part of the community.
- Preparation for economic independence: Training programs foster professional and entrepreneurial skills, enabling participants to find employment and achieve self-sufficiency, boosting community economic stability.
- Strengthened community capacity for self-help: The program develops skills and knowledge within communities to manage crises through self-organization and local initiatives.
- Reduced strain on social and state structures: By creating a more stable and supportive environment, the program helps optimize public resource use and facilitates the work of social services.
These outcomes contribute to long-term positive changes, increasing education levels, self-reliance, and social integration, thus promoting sustainable societal development.
Stories of Help
Case 1: Viktoria, 4 years old, Internally Displaced Person (IDP)
Viktoria’s family evacuated from Donetsk region to Dnipro in 2022 and settled in a shelter. The girl was withdrawn, afraid to stay without her grandmother, and avoided interacting with other children. The team at the child-friendly space worked with her through individual consultations, art therapy, and communication exercises. Over time, Viktoria joined group sessions, improved her emotional state, and learned to interact with peers, helping her adapt to new conditions and feel more confident.
Case 2: Zlata, 8 years old, Child with Disabilities
Zlata faced cognitive and behavioral issues, concentration difficulties, anxiety in new situations, and low muscle tone. Due to the war, she was afraid of generator noises and reacted sharply to alarms. Caritas psychologists developed a program focusing on attention, anxiety, social skills, and motor development. After two months of regular sessions, Zlata began interacting better, enjoying activities, and showing noticeable progress. The comprehensive approach proved effective!
Case 3: Markiyan, 9 years old, Child with Disabilities
Markiyan, diagnosed with ASD, cerebral palsy, speech delay, and vision impairment, attended Caritas sessions with his older sister, who acted as his assistant. Due to cerebral palsy, he struggled with holding pencils or brushes, making crafts, and modeling. The work started with art therapy to strengthen hand muscles and develop motor skills.
Within six months, Markiyan joined activities with neurotypical children, participated in theater and modeling clubs, and now confidently engages in events without supervision.
Case 4: David, 11 years old, Child with Special Educational Needs
David, from a large low-income family where two children have special needs, joined the child-friendly space with classmates. His mother cares for the children, while his father, with a disability, works temporary jobs. Emotionally vulnerable and struggling in school, David displayed remarkable creativity. He particularly enjoyed workshops where he created original crafts. With the support of the Space, David became more confident, actively participated in activities, and learned teamwork, demonstrating the importance of professional assistance during challenging times.
Case 5: Oksana Yuskyevych, Teacher
“It’s important to have resources to help others.”
Oksana Yuskyevych, a teacher and mother of two, shares how the war and constant stress led to emotional exhaustion, making it difficult to assist others. Attending the “Resilience and Development” project in Ternopil, she realized the importance of self-care. The project includes retreats aimed at emotional and psychological recovery. Oksana is grateful her school hosts a safe space, noting its significant impact on students, teachers, and parents over two years.
Program Team
Olha Sytnyk, Communications Manager
Anna Kilas, Project Manager for Child-Friendly Spaces
Iryna Pukhniak, Manager for “Preparing Children and Youth for the Future,” “Children and War,” and “Caritas Cup” projects
Maryna Martynenko, Manager for “Resilience and Development: Psychosocial Support for Children in Schools”
Yevhen Kulik, Manager for “Psychosocial Support for Educational Process Participants”
Halyna Yadzhak, Child Protection Expert
Olha Arkusha, Leading Expert on Child-Friendly Spaces for Multisectoral Projects
Vita Yaremii, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
Kyrylo Selivanov, Database Manager
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