Since the February 2022 invasion began, more than a third of Ukraine’s children have been displaced. Over four years into the war, civilian areas continue to be a major target, leaving communities, churches, schools, and orphanages decimated.
In June 2026, Kidsave was petitioned by local child welfare officials in eastern Ukraine to provide refuge for 32 children at the Kidsave Miracles Center. Many of these children were classified as orphans or “children deprived of parental care”, a status comparable to being in foster care in the United States. They’d previously been living in institutions or shelters, often having to move due to the ongoing airstrikes destroying their city.
At the Kidsave Miracles Center, these children were able to have an unforgettable summer. They played outside in the fresh air without fear of an airstrike. They went on outings and field trips. They went swimming, some of them for the very first time. They laughed loudly and sang songs, and they remembered what it means to be a child in the summer.
Intermingled with all this fun, they also learned. Through staff-led workshops and outings, the children were introduced to potential professions and the skills and education required to achieve them. For children growing up in institutional care, it can be difficult to imagine life beyond the orphanage walls. By introducing them to possible career paths, we can broaden their perspective and help them imagine a better tomorrow for themselves beyond institutional care.
A few of these outings included a trip to a fire and rescue station where they learned about the importance of teamwork, discipline, responsibility, and decision-making. During a visit to a local sheep farm, the children were introduced to the traditional Carpathian occupation of cheese-making, and other visits to local farms created opportunities for conversations about veterinarian care, agriculture, and entrepreneurship. At the eco-park, the children explored professions related to ecology, biology, forestry, and environmental protection. And finally, the children were treated to a presentation from a local willow-weaving craftswoman, during which the children had an opportunity to try working with willow themselves.
But the most important part of the summer came at its conclusion. While the children were enjoying their stay at the Miracles Center, our team was hard at work behind the scenes. Our staff works closely with local child welfare agencies to establish the best possible next steps for these children, identifying potential foster and adoptive families for those eligible and addressing family needs for those able to be reunited with biological relatives or kin. Ultimately, the goal is not for these children to simply enjoy a summer vacation and then return to their lives in an orphanage or institution. Our goal is for the Miracles Center to be a place of transition—an opportunity for children to be reintroduced and reintegrated into their communities, outside of institutional care.
While at the Center, staff facilitated opportunities for families to come and spend time with the children, building a connection and evaluating if the family and child may be a good fit for one another. Of the 32 children in our care this summer, nine were placed in foster families, and one child was reunited with their mother. Additionally, work is ongoing to place a sibling set of four with a foster family in the coming weeks.
Two of the children placed in a family were siblings Vlad and Violetta. Vlad and Violetta quickly captured the hearts of everyone at the Miracles Center. Vlad was inquisitive from the beginning, often questioning how everything around him works, how something was invented, who invented it, and why? Guided by his incredible curiosity, Vlad spent the summer asking questions and working with his hands.
His sister Violetta, on the other hand, was much more subdued with a quiet, gentle nature. Violetta never wanted to be the center of attention, but little by little, we were welcomed into her own special, creative world. While Vlad explored the world through questions, Violetta explored it through colors. Violetta spent the summer drawing and painting beautiful works of art, channeling her inner thoughts and feelings out onto paper.
At the end of the summer, Vlad and Violetta were connected with a family they can now call their own. Their new family has welcomed them with the kind of warmth, care, and love they’ve been longing for. And the siblings are elated to have a family who is happy to share in their victories, answer their endless questions, and help them achieve their dreams.
It is our hope that the Miracles Center will continue to be just that: a place where miracles are made for children in Ukraine. A place where kids like Vlad and Violetta can find the love and possibility they’re longing for, and where the next generation of Ukrainians can begin to heal.
