Experience of a foster family and the way to adoption

Kalita's large foster family lives in the village of Viktorivka, Odesa Oblast. Here, seven girls aged 9 to 16, who were left without parental care, live in a spacious house with their mother, Zoya Pavlivna, a teacher.

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Such a large family did not appear overnight. A few years ago, Zoya Pavlivna created a foster family. Interestingly, it was Zoya's older sons who offered to take the children into the family. Now the house has become a real center of attraction for them: the family often meets in full force when the older children come for the holidays.

Before creating a foster family, Zoya Pavlivna underwent mandatory training. So she was prepared for many situations that could arise while raising children. The classes taught the candidates how to help children adapt to a new family faster, how to respond to behavioral difficulties and children's defensive reactions, how to build trust in the family and children's trust in the world. Finally, how parents themselves can remain a resource.

Last year, Ms. Zoya decided to expand her family: she felt she had the resources to take care of several more children. Thus, the foster family became large. In the official language, such families are called family-type children's homes, or FTCs.

One of the warmest traditions of the family was cooking dinners together. As Zoya Pavlivna herself says: "The children often help to cook and clean up, but in general, everyone does their own thing." 9-year-old Diana is already actively learning from the family's culinary experience: "I memorize what my mom cooks and what to add to it." Such joint activities help children acquire household skills that will be useful in their future independent lives.

Zoya Pavlivna pays attention to every detail of everyday life: the girls have their own separate beds, comfortable places to study and areas for recreation. The mother actively cooperates with teachers, attends parent-teacher conferences and helps her children develop their talents. But most importantly, each of the girls now has a family and a reliable adult at their side to whom they can turn to in any situation.

How to take a child into a family?

The story of Zoya Kalita is just one example of how to provide children without parental care with a family environment and warmth:

• Adoption: taking a child into a family forever as a biological child. Adopters become parents with all the rights and responsibilities, and the child no longer has the status of an orphan. The child receives the same benefits as at birth.
• Guardianship and custody: this form is most often chosen by the child's relatives. Guardianship is valid until the age of 14, and custody - from 14 to 18. The child retains his or her status and receives a monthly allowance from the state and benefits.
• Foster family: a family or unmarried person takes in 1 to 4 children. One of the parents receives a salary and seniority, and the children receive monthly payments and benefits. The family is provided with ongoing social support.
• Family-type children's home (FTC): a large foster family with 5-10 children. In addition to payments and benefits, such a family is provided with large service housing with furniture and appliances, if necessary.
• Child patronage service: A "first aid" for a child is temporary care (usually up to 3-6 months) while the biological parents are overcoming a crisis or the child is looking for a new family. The goal is safety and care in a family environment. The work of foster caregivers and assistants is paid and seniority is accrued.

Where to start?

The first step is a consultation. You can seek help from the Children's Services in your community. Specialists will tell you in detail about all the ways to take a child into a family, state support, and help you choose the right form of upbringing.

Learn more by calling the hotline:

• Odesa region: 0 800 60 33 77
• Mykolaiv region: 0 800 219 867

For more information, visit dity.gov.ua

Кирило Бойко