Every child needs someone who supports them & takes care of them, who wants them to be happy. Every child needs to know they are loved & they belong. Children never belong in orphanages. They don’t protect children, they harm them. And they are never necessary. Every child needs a family. We have been working to transform the lives of children in orphanages since 1994. Today we are working with children in 30 countries with our teams of skilled, local child-protection professionals to keep families together & reunite or build new families.

As the war in Ukraine intensifies, many people want to do something – anything – to help. By donating to our work in Ukraine, Moldova and Romania, you’ll be protecting children and families both now and in the aftermath of this war. 

The invasion of Ukraine is a crisis on many fronts. As well as the violence and bloodshed being endured by those within the country, thousands of people have already fled across the border. Already, families have been separated in the chaos, and children are travelling, unaccompanied, into foreign countries. 

We are deeply concerned for the 100,000 children warehoused in Ukraine’s orphanage system. Orphanage buildings are already being targeted by shells, missiles and illegal cluster bombs. As fighting intensifies, the staff in these institutions are fleeing. Large numbers of children are being left to face the dangers of war, alone.  

This brutal invasion is not only exposing children and families to unimaginable harm right now, but will continue to do so for years to come. We must act now to avert a child protection emergency across Eastern Europe.