Europe-wide Network supporting Ukrainian Children through Psychological First Aid (PFA) announces first 34 Focal points

Укра?нська | English

A Europe-wide initiative to support Ukrainian children through psychological first aid (PFA) marked several key developments during its February 11, 2025 leadership meeting. The Certificate peer learning programme on Psychological First Aid (PFA) in support of children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine provides innovative opportunities to strengthen immediate mental health support to children in crisis, is rapidly scaling up into a comprehensive network spanning 28 countries. The programme is being led by The Geneva Learning Foundation in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), with funding support from the EU-funded EU4Health programme.

First wave of PFA Focal Points

The initiative announced its first 34 PFA focal points - volunteer representatives who will coordinate support within their organizations and regions. While most focal points are based in Ukraine working directly in fragile contexts, the network includes practitioners from every European country where there are Ukrainian displaced children, creating a bridge between local needs and international support. “This is just a wonderful way of connecting with others across the world who are dealing with the same challenges – and learning from each other,” noted W. from a National Red Cross Society.

Building local capacity

For example, the next “PFA Connect” peer learning session will address three critical topics: recognizing severe reactions in children, managing multiple children in crisis, and providing remote psychological support.

“We work with children in Kyiv region, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Chernihiv region, and Sumy region. We travel to locations and conduct psychosocial sessions with children,” explained I. from Yellow-Blue Wings, describing their direct work with affected communities.

“When I went through this training that lasted several weeks, it was both learning and active participation... you felt like you leveled up a bit,” shared A. from Platform of Unity, a Ukrainian humanitarian organization working in the Kharkiv region.

Practical peer learning approach

The programme combines several key elements:

1?? Certificate-based peer learning exercises providing structured training

2?? Bi-weekly “PFA Connect” sessions for rapid knowledge exchange

3?? New courses based on practitioners’ real-world experiences and insights

4?? An Impact Accelerator to support practical implementation

Measuring impact on children

A new measurement tool aligned to humanitarian standards?is being developed by this network to evaluate effectiveness of support to children at the local level. The tool will help programme participants determine if and how their interventions are actually making a difference for children.

Looking ahead

The initiative represents a shift from traditional training approaches by emphasizing peer learning and practical implementation while maintaining professional standards through certification. These regular Leaders and Partners meetings ensure the programme continues to evolve based on practitioners’ needs and experiences in supporting children affected by the ongoing crisis. The programme aims to build the capacity of thousands of professionals by June 2025.

How to participate

Professionals interested in joining PFA Connect can:

1. Register for the 26 February 2025 session at https://www.learning.foundation/ukraine
2. Share challenges or experiences they would like discussed
3. Contribute to post-session feedback that shapes future meetings

The session will begin at 4:00 PM CET / 5:00 PM Kiev

Note: This initiative is funded by the European Union through the EU4Health programme. Its contents are the sole responsibility of TGLF and IFRC, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.