Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more than 14 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed borders seeking safety, with Europe hosting around 6 million of them – primarily women and children. This has resulted in a high rate of family separation – about 70% – and has left children and young people particularly vulnerable to violence, trafficking and exploitation. Both within Ukraine and in host countries, children and young people’s physical wellbeing, mental health and education are under threat, leading to increased pressure on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Child Helpline International, along with our child helpline members in Ukraine (La Strada), Poland (FDDS), Hungary (Kék Vonal), Slovakia (Linka Detskej Istoty), and Romania (Asociația Telefonul Copilului ) have been responding to these challenges though our Children’s Voices Ukraine project. Now in its third phase, and with the support of Terre des Hommes Netherlands, the project aims to provide access to quality child helpline services for Ukrainian children and young people affected by the war: Our work in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries aims to:
- increase access to and use of child helpline services by the children, young people and caregivers affected by the war;
- expand the capacity of child helplines, ensuring quality services for children in need of care and protection;
- amplify children and young people’s voices by generating evidence through reliable data collection and analysis, to influence policymaking; and
- improve coordination between regional and national actors, emphasizing the critical role of child helplines.
In early phases of the project we discovered that, despite the availability of services in host countries, many Ukrainian children and young people were not utilizing these resources. This gap in service usage prompted the Children’s Voices Ukraine project to investigate the barriers preventing children from utilizing the services and addressing their needs more effectively. This was achieved through studies in each country that resulted in Country Reports, as well as a Community Report that summarizes the findings from each of the countries. Each report is the result of information gathered through surveys with young Ukrainian refugees and interviews with stakeholders. This data helps us understand the barriers preventing children from accessing services and the challenges they face in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.
Key Findings from the Country Reports
The country reports highlighted several key challenges:
Mental Health and Psychosocial Concerns: The reports indicate that many Ukrainian children are struggling with anxiety, depression and trauma. Child helplines report that while some children reach out for emotional support, there is still a gap in usage, with many not accessing the services available to them.
Access to Services: The data highlights issues with accessing essential services, particularly mental health and social care, among displaced children. Barriers such as language, awareness, and stigma have been identified as factors influencing whether children seek support.
Child Protection and Safety: When asked “What are you likely to need help with in the future?”, the top four concerns mentioned by young people were mental health, personal safety, physical health and issues with friends. Child helplines play an important role in providing assistance, but more needs to be done to ensure children feel safe and protected.
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Child Helplines
The findings from this mapping exercise will help improve child helpline services and raise awareness about the challenges Ukrainian children and young people face in accessing support. By addressing the barriers identified, Child Helpline International and our partners aim to continue to advocate for every child and young person affected by the war to have access to the care and protection they need.
We would like to thank our members in Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, as well as local organizations, governmental institutitions and multilateral organizations including UNICEF and UNHCR, for their key contributions and support in this effort. The development of these reports would not have been possible without the continued support of our funder, Terre des Hommes.
Learn More! For a detailed breakdown of our findings, we invite you to explore the full reports
Ana Rodrigues
Project Coordinator, Children’s Voices Ukraine
