“My Dream Is to Live at Home”: Research in Ukraine on the Wishes of Children in Institutional Care Facilities

“There is a bathing day, I love bathing. We have a shower and a bathtub. But only adults can bathe often, we cannot. We wait for bathing day.”?

A study was conducted in Ukraine to highlight the needs and hopes of children living in Institutional care facilities. The results were presented during a discussion titled “Behind Closed Doors: The Dreams of Children in Institutional Care”, held in Kyiv on October 15, with the participation of public organizations, Ukrainian government representatives, and the international community.?

The eponymous study was carried out by the international organization Save the Children in Ukraine and the Charitable Foundation “Voices of Children” in collaboration with the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, the European Disability Forum, the NGO “Social Synergy”, the National Office of Children and Youth “DiyMO”, an advisory body of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, and the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.?

The full text of the document is available here.?

Researchers surveyed over 500 children and young people in more than twenty institutional care facilities across Ukraine.??

“Unfortunately, decisions about a child's protection are often made based on adults' ideas of what's best for the child. As a result, children and young people leave these institutions completely unprepared for independent living. We strive to change this,” says Kseniia Karahiaur, the initiator of the study and serves as a Senior Advisor for Child Protection at Save the Children in Ukraine.?

In Ukraine, approximately 90,000 children are raised in specialized institutions – one of the highest rates in the world. About one-third of them live in institutional care facilities full-time, outside of a family environment. However, only one in five of these children are considered orphans or have parents who have lost parental rights.?

Life in these institutions exposes children to many risks, including mistreatment or neglect, which can negatively impact their physical and mental health.??

“There is a common misconception that orphanages are places where children are well taken care of. People think they live together, eat properly, play, and so on. But the truth is, orphanages just cannot provide what kids need to grow up healthy. Imagine being left at a daycare center to live, with no way out and a high fence all around. You cannot go home or even to a store . It is scary, right? Therefore, we decided to ask the children what their pain points and wishes are,” explained Olena Rozvadovska , co-founder of the “Voices of Children” Foundation.??

The surveys conducted by the “Voices of Children” Foundation showed that 39% of children aged 8-12 often feel lonely, 37% feel angry and afraid, and 27% feel sad. Another 27% rarely feel happy. Among adolescents aged 13-17, almost half of them either sometimes or never feel happy. The same number of children feel fear at least sometimes. About one in five often feels lonely (23%), sad (20%), or angry (18%). ??

The main reasons for these feelings often include isolation, lack of personal space, and other restrictions imposed by institutional rules.?

“Here, I constantly feel tense, I don't know why, but I'm constantly tense. And at home, I don't. You see, at home, I can make myself tea, drink it when I want, eat when I want, and go to sleep," one teen shared with the researchers.??

“We step out into the yard, but the fence is so high that you cannot go anywhere, not to the store or anywhere else. If someone from your family comes to visit, you can only see them on Saturday at 3:00-4:00 PM And only for one hour,” reads another child's interview.?

“It's like being in prison, only without the prison bars. It's the same restriction of freedom.”?

“You're expected to eat everything [that's served to you], your plates should be empty. Even if you feel like you are going to throw up. They won't allow for excuses.”?

In the study by Save the Children, about 100 children with disabilities or high support needs were surveyed. Two-thirds of them are nonverbal—researchers communicated with them using a method called “intensive interaction”.?

“It is like becoming the child’s avatar, connecting with them, entering into their world. The researchers would sit near the child and mimic their movements and sounds. This shows the child that their actions matter, fostering trust. And eventually, the specialist can gently influence the child's development,” explained Marianna Onufryk, head of the NGO Social Synergy and a co-author of the research.?

The study found that 9 out of 10 children including young people with disabilities—nearly all study participants—want to move independently, engage in their own activities, be creative, learn, and have a trusted, caring adult in their lives. Two-thirds of children with disabilities expressed a desire to have a caring family.?

“This was a big revelation for me because most of these children have been in institutions for a long time, and some had regular contact with their families. Yet about half said they miss their families and want more time with them. They are happy when they see their relatives but feel sad when they have to part,” said Georgette Mulheir, co-author of the study from Save the Children and consultant for the European Disability Forum.?

Young people who grew up in institutional care also shared their thoughts on the findings of the research. Kyrylo Nevdokha, head of the National Office of Children and Youth “DiyMO”, emphasized that the study is extremely important, as there are still many stereotypes about this topic in society.?

“If you ask your neighbor, colleague, or family member what they know about this subject—what children in institutional care facilities really dream of and what their needs are—most likely you won’t get a unique answer. You might hear, ‘Poor orphans, we need to help them in the orphanage.’ But these kids need help getting out of orphanages, not staying in them,” Kyrylo added.?

What do the children dream of??

“I would shut down all those institutional care facilities without a second thought. So that children aren't sent to institutional care but are raised by their own families.”?

• For the war to end and for my mother to stay alive.?
• That there would be peace on Earth.?
• I dream of being taken out of the institutional care facility soon.?
• For every child to have a good family and to be taken home as soon as possible.??
• A dream of family.?
• Peace.??

“I would make it so that children have families, so that they are safe, and no one hurts them.”?

The study also provides a number of clear recommendations to the government, local authorities, and civil society organizations within the framework of the “Deinstitutionalization reform” (Ukrainian term)—the transition from institutional care to family-based care for children currently raised in specialized institutions.?

The full text of the document is available here.?