PROJECTS TO SUPPORT UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN OVER CHRISTMAS
PROJECTS TO SUPPORT UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN OVER CHRISTMAS
UNICEF's call for new hosts to house Ukrainian children and their families over the festive period is one of many projects aiming to help refugee families prepare for their first Christmas in the UK.
The council is asking people to volunteer to sponsor and house Ukrainian refugees under the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, to support guests whose original sponsors are no longer able to house them.
There is a particular need for volunteers who have space to house more than one adult, or groups with children, the council said.
The scheme, launched in March this year, encourages UK families to volunteer to house Ukrainian refugees for a minimum of six months, as the war in Ukraine continues to separate and displace families.
Accommodation offered can be as simple as a spare room, but must be safe, free from health hazards, and have adequate access to kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Hosts are offered £350 per month to subsidise any incurred costs. The government has further announced that long-term hosts – those who have hosted Ukrainian families for more than a year – will be offered £500 per month, to help existing hosts continue with their sponsorship.
Those interested in housing Ukrainian guests can register for the scheme through their relevant council.
Here, CYP Now looks at other ways that charities, schools, and businesses across the UK are supporting Ukrainian refugees this Christmas, and what more can be done as the sector welcomes in the new year.
Supporting Ukrainian children in kinship care
A collaboration of children’s rights organisations have banded together to help professionals support Ukrainian children and families known to the social care system.
Many Ukrainian children are now living in kinship care, separated from their parents.
Charity Coram has reported that many professionals are unsure about the best way to support these young people and what the correct legal processes and specialist services are.
To address this, CoramBAAF, Coram Children’s Legal Centre, Children and Families Across Borders and Family Rights Group have collaborated to create a range of easily accessible resources for social work professionals, advice organisation, sponsors and kinship carers.
The resources will provide advice tailored to the different routes and circumstances a child might have arrived under, the impact of this route on their entitlements, and information on safeguarding issues specific to Ukrainian children and young people.
Individuals and organisations with knowledge in this field can help to inform this work by contacting ellen.broome@corambaaf.org.uk or cashley@frg.org.uk
Welcoming displaced children to Scotland
Children’s rights charity Barnardo’s Scotland has launched a service to support displaced people from Ukraine, and ensure they feel safe and welcome in Scotland.
Barnardo’s Scotland Welcome (Ukraine) Service works alongside local authority resettlement teams, third sector partners, education, training and employment resources, and health and support services to help children and young people to feel less isolated as they integrate into their new community.
Essential items such as clothing, footwear, digital equipment, and essential baby items have been gifted to Ukrainian families using an emergency fund, as well as information about how to access vital financial and employment services.
The charity is also launching a series of online workshops to support people who have hosted Ukrainian families, with the goal of developing a Host Network in the new year.
Schools and communities supporting Ukrainian children
A primary school in Southampton held a Christmas party for the children from Ukraine who have recently enrolled at the school, to help them celebrate the festive season in their new community.
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