On May 7, Mariana Romaniak, CEO of Ridni Foundation, joined the visit of Ann-Claire Dufay, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, to the Center for Social Support of Children and Families.
This visit marked a significant milestone in the facility’s transformation, which began in 2025 at the initiative of a joint working group. This group includes representatives from the Lviv Regional State Administration, the Lviv Regional Council, the Children’s Service of the Lviv Regional State Administration, UNICEF, the Coordination Center for the Development of Family-Based Care, and Ridni Foundation.
Today, the Center provides children with a safe temporary environment, including medical, educational, and psychological support. At the same time, the team’s primary focus is not only on supporting the child but also on active engagement with families in crisis. This approach ensures the child’s swift return to a safe family environment or the identification of a family-based care alternative.
The Center already operates: an emergency placement unit, a Family Support Service, a Child Advocacy Center based on the Barnahus model.
Change is only possible through genuine partnership. I am sincerely grateful to Maksym Kozytskyy and the entire team for their readiness to implement and fund these changes. My thanks to our partners at UNICEF for their constant support and the expertise they so generously share. We thank Maksym Kozytskyy, Yuriy Kholod, and UNICEF for working together to transform the system and ensuring that every child in Ukraine grows up in a safe and nurturing environment.
