The Crisis Within the Crisis
In the first chaotic weeks of the full-scale invasion, hundreds of orphanages were evacuated. Some orphans fled to Poland with caregivers. Others were separated from their families. Still others lost siblings, grandparents or the only home they’d ever known.
Today, an estimated 1’500 Ukrainian orphans are now living in foster homes and care facilities across Poland. Thousands more remain in Ukraine. These children carry immense trauma—from the war itself, from displacement, from the uncertainty of what comes next.
Emergency aid saved their lives. Long-term care will heal their wounds.
Happy Kids: From Rescue to Rebuilding
Mission for Ukraine was introduced to Happy Kids in late 2022. Founded over 25 years ago, Happy Kids pioneered a revolutionary shift in Poland away from Soviet-style institutional orphanages toward family-based foster care and residential communities.
When the war broke out, Happy Kids didn’t hesitate. They rescued over 1’200 Ukrainian orphans and found homes for them across Poland. Today, Happy Kids cares for 250+ Ukrainian orphans in the Łódź area and beyond.
In 2022–23, Mission for Ukraine partnered with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital to help Happy Kids upgrade its management structure and reorganise to handle the influx of Ukrainian children.
The Next Chapter: Intergenerational Community Centres
Now comes an even more ambitious vision.
Happy Kids has a plan to renovate a building donated by the city of Łódź to become an Intergenerational Community Centre. This isn’t just another facility. It will serve:
- Both Polish and Ukrainian orphans
Psychotherapy and trauma care Transition support to adult life Mentorship and friendship-building across the Polish–Ukrainian divide Senior citizens who will work and mentor the children
The city supports this initiative. If successful, the model could be replicated in other Polish cities—creating a new way of healing orphans through intergenerational connection.
With available funding, the centre could open in mid-2027.
RadiantHope: Healing the Healers
But orphans aren’t the only ones carrying trauma. The caregivers—house parents, teachers, social workers—also carry invisible wounds. Many are themselves displaced or grieving. To heal children, you must first heal those who care for them.
This is why Mission for Ukraine partnered with RadiantHope, a trauma-care organisation led by American therapist Courtney Lauderdale (who moved to Warsaw in 2024 after 15 years of trauma work in India and Romania).
Starting with a six-month pilot in May 2025, RadiantHope has been training caregivers and teachers at:
- Love Does Schools (220 Ukrainian refugee children)
Happy Kids (250+ Ukrainian orphans in Poland) LifeSong (USA-based, caring for ~1’500 Ukrainian orphans)
The results have exceeded expectations. So Mission for Ukraine is now expanding the programme—and developing a web-based platform so RadiantHope’s trauma-care methods can reach even more teachers and caregivers.
Because the science is clear: when adults heal, children heal.
The Volunteers on the Ground
Beyond big programmes, there are heroes working quietly on frontlines.
Foundation in the Meantime is a group of Polish and international volunteer medics who’ve been treating wounded soldiers and civilians on the Ukrainian front since 2014. Mission for Ukraine has supported them with over CHF 40’000 worth of medical equipment, helping them save lives in fiercely contested battle areas.
And Fair Dog Denmark—a volunteer women’s group collecting tons of donations in Denmark—ships supplies into Ukraine with our support. When they needed sealed storage containers, we helped. When they needed funding for lorries, we provided it.
These are the quiet stories. But they matter.
What We’ve Learned
From all this work—art therapy, orphan care, trauma training, medical support—one truth has emerged:
Healing takes time. Community saves lives.
Orphans need more than shelter. They need:
- Safe adults who listen
Creative outlets for trauma Peer connection Teachers and mentors A vision of a future where they belong
What’s Next
The vision for 2026–2027 is ambitious:
- Open the Intergenerational Community Centre in Łódź as a model for other cities
Expand RadiantHope’s trauma training to reach more caregivers and teachers Scale art therapy programmes beyond Warsaw Continue supporting medical volunteers and grassroots groups Strengthen long-term partnerships with Happy Kids, Love Does Schools, and other orphan-serving organisations
Because the war continues. And so must we.
A Final Word
Orphans are not statistics. They are children who’ve lost everything. But with the right support—safe spaces, creative outlets, caring adults, community—they can rebuild.
Mission for Ukraine exists to provide that support. Not for a day or a month, but for as long as it takes.