Estonia opens two group homes for large foster families in Ukraine

Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, also attended the opening. Photo: Max Fedyshyn

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and the Estonian Center for International Development on Tuesday opened two family-style small group homes in Zhytomyr for displaced Ukrainian foster families.

Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, also attended the opening. Her foundation managed the land acquisition, found the families and handled the legal aspects of transferring the homes to their new owners, the Foreign Ministry in Tallinn said in a press release.

«The Government of Estonia became the first international partner of the Foundation to independently scale our 'Room for Childhood' project in Ukraine. Thanks to this initiative, two large foster families of internally displaced persons from the Kherson region received new homes in the Zhytomyr region. Our Foundation assisted in identifying these families and selecting plots for construction. We are sincerely grateful to our Estonian partners for their support and for advancing such an important initiative,» Olena Zelenska said.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine has caused immeasurable suffering to thousands of children, many of whom have lost homes, families and loved ones.

The two family homes will allow more than ten children to continue their childhood in the safe warmth of home, Tsahkna said. «In order to bring the war to a victorious end, it is necessary for Ukrainians to maintain hope for a better and safer future. Supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine will undoubtedly provide this much-needed hope.»

The first home was given to Ruslana, an art teacher, and her family of six. The family’s eldest daughter, Kateryna, is pursuing a degree in social work. The other children are Makar, 9, Lidiia, 11, Taisiia, 12, and Stanislav, 14. Ruslana began taking in foster children four years ago. However, her house was on the front line, so the family was forced to move to temporary housing in Zhytomyr when the war broke out.

Oksana and Serhii will live in the second home with their seven children: Mykhailo, 19, Hanna, 17, Khrystyna, 14, Valentyna, 12, Daria, 15, Oleksandra, 13, and their biological son, Serhii, 19. Oksana and Serhii have been foster parents for over ten years and took in two more girls last year. When the war broke out, their home in the Kherson Region was completely destroyed, and they moved to a dormitory for internally displaced persons.

According to the Olena Zelenska Foundation, at least 80 foster family homes have been affected by the war, with 40 families in critical need of new housing. The Foundation launched the "Room for Childhood" initiative to engage international donors in constructing new family-style small group homes. As part of this initiative, Estonia provided 370,000 euros to fund the construction of one house, which was completed in June 2024.

In addition to the first house, Estonia committed to building three more family homes to showcase best practices in Estonian spatial design and family house construction and support Ukraine as it aligns its national social welfare system with European standards.

ESTDEV, in collaboration with the Estonian Association of Architects and the Ministry of Culture, hosted an architectural competition to create a high-quality standard design for the group home. Architectural Office DAGOpen, in partnership with Ukrainian architects, claimed the top spot with their HATA design. The winning design features a 212-square-meter house with seven bedrooms and four bathrooms, meeting the needs of families with special needs members.

The 1.97-million-euro public procurement for constructing three houses and two bomb shelters was awarded to the Ukrainian company LLC "Alexander & I" and its Estonian subcontractor, KMT Prefab OÜ. In Tuesday's ceremony, Ukraine received the first two houses; the third is expected to be ready in the coming months.

ESTDEV Executive Director Klen Jäärats said that the two homes, built in accordance with Estonian design principles, stand as a powerful symbol of the enduring partnership between Estonia and Ukraine.

«Crafted to address local needs, these homes seamlessly blend Estonia's innovative design expertise with a deep commitment to creating spaces that foster healing, stability, and hope for displaced families,» he said, adding that ESTDEV will continue its successful cooperation with the Zhytomyr region and the Olena Zelenska Foundation this year.

All foster parents living in the homes built by Estonia have undergone training in Estonia focused on raising children with trauma. Child protection and social welfare experts in Ukrainian local governments have also completed study tours to Estonia. Additionally, ESTDEV supported summer camps in Estonia for children with war trauma, organized by the Olena Zelenska Foundation, with contribution of 100,000 euros.