Children abandoned by their parents...

from birth to three years of age, live at Children's Hospitals, until it is determined whether they will be assigned to a foster family, a family-type children's home/s, a boarding school, a guardian family, to adoptive parents, or they are returned to their biological family.  But initially, their first home becomes the hospital.  Even the best hospital is not established for a living, rather for healing.  The fate of these children lies in the hands of social services officers (both district and metropolitan) who process the legal documents associated with the status of the child.  Thus, this process may be a delayed one.

A person' social development occurs in several stages.  Up to two years  of age, a child is entirely dependant on adults for care and relationship building, the quality of which forms the future of the young personality, his or her perception of the surrounding world and, their attitudes towards people at large.  If a child is caressed, cuddled, told tales, sung to, the child forms trust towards people, gradually becomes aware of himself as being accepted, protected, loved.  The moulding of a sense of belonging to people, to family begins.  The foundations are cast toward establishing a complete harmonious personality: "I belong to someone, I am needed, I am loved".  Emotional needs are being met in this stage, not just physical.  If a child under the age of two feels a lack of care, neglect or cruelty, these children experience fear, mistrust, danger, insecurity, jealousy and suffer from  dissatisfaction and loneliness.  In effect, an outcast personality is formed.  Which in the future translates to teenagers with destructive behaviours.  The influential model of their relationships with people and the surrounding environment is simple: "Once you rejected me, now I  will neglect everyone and all; the best defence is attack!" This all starts subconsciously and then manifests itself externally by means of: aggression, anger, violence, or visa versa through: apathy or chronic depression.  As adults, they will have relationship problems, low self-worth, lack of knowing how to love.  This being the bitter harvest of what was sown.

The volunteers of our Centre visit the abandoned babies at the Clinical MultiProfile Hospital No. 17 (of the city of Kharkiv), at the Neonatological Unit of the Metropolitan Children's Hospital and at the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital.

Volunteers spend time with the kids, taking care of them, feeding them, reading books, taking them out for a walk and a play outdoors.  Always bringing a gift and necessary items: diapers/nappies, medicine, fruit etc.  Friendly relationships are built with the hospital staff.  Thanks to your donations and the fidelity of the women volunteers who have dedicated themselves to the children, this work has been able to continue over the past six years.