Another large foster family moved into a new house provided by the Olena Zelenska Foundation

The Olena Zelenska Foundation handed over a new home to the large foster family of Danylenko in the town of Tyvriv, in the Vinnytsia region. Now, Ruslana and Vladyslav, along with the nine children they are raising, will live here.

Ruslana is a native of the Donetsk region. A full-scale war forced her to leave her home and move to the Vinnytsia region in March 2022. There she met Vladyslav, with whom she later started a family.

The decision to become parents-caregivers was a conscious one for the couple. For Ruslana, this choice was largely a continuation of her family’s experience: her parents are also parents-caregivers for a large foster family. In April 2025, Ruslana and Vladyslav created a foster family and later a family-based care home. Today, they are raising nine children—five boys and four girls.

Before moving, the family lived in the village of Rudanske in the Zhmerynskyi district and needed more housing to accommodate their large family. Housing is often a barrier for parents willing to take in more children for upbringing.

The Olena Zelenska Foundation built a new house in Tyvriv as part of its Room for Childhood project. This modern, inclusive, and energy-efficient space is designed to meet the needs of a large family. The house is fully furnished and equipped with household appliances. On the property, there is a space for children’s leisure and a protective shelter.

This is the 24th house built by the Foundation for large foster families across different regions of Ukraine.

“It is important for a child not only to have a place they call home, but also to have a home with family, care, and support nearby. In Ukraine, there are parents who are ready to take in more children for upbringing, but sometimes housing conditions do not allow families to expand. With the Room for Childhood project, we help remove this barrier and create conditions for more children to grow up in a family environment. The Danylenkos’ story is also special because Ruslana herself was forced to leave her home because of the war, and today, together with Vladyslav, she is creating a home for nine children,” Viktoriia Romanova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, noted.

The house for the Danylenko family was built with support from Danish partners—A.P. Moller Relief Foundation.

The Room for Childhood project is part of the Olena Zelenska Foundation’s ongoing efforts to support family-based care. The project helps large foster families secure adequate housing so that children without parental care can grow up in a family rather than in institutions.

In addition to housing provision, the Foundation supports large foster families based on their current needs. Recently, 45 families in the Vinnytsia region received equipment, essential household items, and gadgets for children’s education and development.