A festive Mother’s Day event took place at the Inhulets Palace of Culture, bringing together foster parents and parents-educators of family-type children’s homes from across the district. The event offered a space for emotional relief, shared activities, and practical support. In total, seven foster mothers were honoured and received gifts.
The event was organised through a joint effort of the Kryvyi Rih City Council, the Centre for Social Services, the Inhulets Palace of Culture, and the child-friendly space VSE.SVIT, based at Gymnasium No. 98.
VSE.SVIT child-friendly spaces provide safe and supportive environments for children and their families, combining psychosocial support, developmental activities, and opportunities for non-formal learning. They serve as community support points, helping children recover, socialise, and develop life skills, while offering parents access to knowledge and support.
These spaces are implemented by the All-Ukrainian Foundation “Protection of Children’s Rights” within the framework of the project KRYTSIA: Support for the recovery of Kryvyi Rih Raion, funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, in partnership with Proman and NDI.
The programme combined creativity, recreation, and practical value for families. The event opened with musical performances by the “Horlytsia” folk vocal ensemble and the “Zhaivoronok” exemplary folklore group. Participants then joined a shared art therapy session, “Invisible Drawing,” led by psychologists, which helped strengthen emotional connections between parents and children.
Practical support was also a key component of the event. Parents attended an advocacy session on financial literacy focused on responsible spending for children’s needs. They also had the opportunity to engage directly with representatives of city and district social services in an open dialogue format and receive answers to their most pressing questions.
For children, the programme offered a mix of leisure and learning. After spending time in the “Jam Cafe” sweet corner, they visited the modern technology space “Achievable Lab,” where, under the guidance of an instructor, they took their first steps in web design and explored innovative tools.
The event once again demonstrated that comprehensive family support becomes possible through partnership and the development of initiatives like VSE.SVIT spaces, which serve as important points of support within communities.
