“Parents feel this is their only option”: Lumos Ukraine’s push to support families of children with disabilities
25.03.2026
Pictured: Zlata and her son, Ivan, with a Lumos-trained family support professional.
Ivan* has a complex disability, cerebral palsy, and this shapes every aspect of daily life for him and his mother, Zlata*. Ivan needs round-the-clock care, which Zlata provides from her home in eastern Ukraine.
For Zlata, there are no breaks, no predictable routines, and no opportunity for her to seek employment. Her days are structured entirely around her son’s needs – physical care, medical supervision and emotional support. Over time, this constant responsibility created not only financial strain but also deep emotional exhaustion and social isolation for her.
Zlata’s story is not unique. Families of children with disabilities often face difficulty if they have poor access to inclusive education and health services. For those parents and caregivers who can’t overcome these challenges, the ‘solution’ is often to place the child into an institution, where children with disabilities are at a heightened risk of abuse and neglect.
Lumos Ukraine delivered a unique programme across four of the country’s regions that address these challenges at their source, preventing unnecessary separation.
Through our specialist training, delivered through local partners, 628 educational professionals and psychologists in four regions in Ukraine have been equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide high-quality psychosocial support to children and their parents/caregivers, with careful consideration for disability, age and gender specific requirements. Zlata and Ivan are one such family to have benefitted from this programme, and this has had transformative effect on their lives.
Using the training they had received, the local multidisciplinary team tasked with supporting Zlata and Ivan recognised the complexity of their situation, and they began to provide the family with tailored and holistic, family-centred support.
Zlata was undertook psychological counselling, focused on supporting her emotional wellbeing – acknowledging her fatigue, validating her experience, and helping her to rebuild her own sense of inner resilience. Alongside this, Ivan received socialisation assistance to develop his basic interaction skills so he could gradually adapt to his social environment. At each stage, his specific needs and limitations were accounted for.
Zlata also received targeted cash assistance so she could purchase essential medications for Ivan’s health condition, easing the financial pressure related to his care.
The provision of this specialist support helped to:
- Improve the quality of Ivan’s life through better access to necessary medication and supportive developmental interaction.
- Support Zlata’s mental health, reducing chronic stress and emotional overload.
- Ease financial strain on the family, allowing resources to be redirected toward Ivan’s care instead of household crisis management.
- Enable Zlata to gain access to coordinated support instead of navigating complex needs alone.
Children belong in families but without the right support, especially for those with disabilities, life can be very difficult and sometimes lead to children being placed in an institution as parents feel this is their only option. Through our specialist training, 628 educational professionals and psychologists in four regions in Ukraine have been equipped with the knowledge and skills to help children like Ivan stay with their families and change their lives for the better.
-Yaroslav Laguta, Lumos Ukraine Country Director.
We cannot support more families like Zlata’s alone. If you want to be a part of our transformative family support programmes in Ukraine, please make a donation today.
*Names changed.
