The end of the first half of the year became a period of major institutional changes, strengthening international ties, and active work directly within communities for Ridni Foundation team. Throughout May and June, the foundation implemented a number of important initiatives aimed at protecting children’s rights and strengthening the capacity of families and social sector specialists.
One of the key events for the institutional development of the organization was the official establishment of the Supervisory Board. This body of strategic oversight is designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper governance of the organization’s activities. Vasyl Danylyak, CEO of OKKO Group, became the Chairman of the Supervisory Board. The Board also includes Anna Mikulytska, Managing Director of SAP Ukraine, and Karen B. Redlener, Co-Founder of Children’s Health Fund (USA).
The foundation actively developed regional and all-Ukrainian partnerships. The foundation team took part in the IV Foster Families Forum “A Child’s Happiness is Growing Up in a Family” and signed a memorandum of informational partnership with Orphans’ Future charitable foundation, as well as a memorandum of cooperation with the Ternopil Regional Center for Social Services.
Caring for the psychological well-being of families and popularizing family-based care remained among the top priorities in communities. Together with UNICEF, “A Family Day” events were organized in Lviv and Mostyska. These meetings helped bring parents and children together around the topics of parenting and the steps toward adoption. In addition, to restore the internal strength of foster families and family-type children’s homes, a five-day Summer School was held in Truskavets, organized jointly with the Lviv Regional Center for Social Services with the support of UNICEF.
Ukrainian expert experience in the field of child protection resounded loudly on the international stage as well. Marta Krasnohor, Director of the GR Department of the foundation, attended the Eurochild Conference 2026 in Paphos (Cyprus). At the same time, at the Start2Act European conference, Iryna Ferko, Head of the Psychological Supervision Department, and psychologist Yevdokiia Yevdokimova held a signature workshop dedicated to child safety and protection from violence in creative and educational spaces.
An important focus of work was directed toward improving the qualifications of those who work directly with children in Ukraine. Together with UNICEF, the foundation conducted a series of training sessions for child services specialists and social workers of the Lviv region, covering response algorithms to cases of domestic violence and the specifics of family support. Also, a three-day training session dedicated to modern approaches to psychosocial support for youth and working with addiction and codependency in families took place at the Center for Social Support “Ridni”.
We sincerely thank every partner, donor, benefactor, and all like-minded people who support the organization’s activities. Thanks to your trust and joint efforts, we continue to change the lives of children and adolescents for the better every day.
