Helping Children Cope With Trauma in Wartime Ukraine

Alyona, 36, spent the first month of the full-scale war in a dark, damp basement in eastern Ukraine, holding her infant daughter Katya in her arms. 

“My Katya was six months old,” Alyona recalls. “I will never forget the expression in her eyes. She seemed frozen – either asleep or staring with glassy eyes. The child definitely understood that something unimaginably terrible was happening.”

Three years later, Katya is a playful, cheerful little girl who has already lived through aerial bombings, evacuation, separation from her father and a tearful reunion. 

Trapped in a basement, without heat or electricity

The Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine has been heavily affected by the war, with regular attacks and intense fighting. In the small town of Balakliia, southeast of the city of Kharkiv, Katya's family spent much of February and March 2022 frozen by constant cold and fear.

Outside, temperatures dropped below zero. In the basement, there was no electricity, heat or access to supplies, like diapers. The only thing that kept Alyona going was her fierce desire to protect her daughter from harm.

My husband and I didn’t even discuss it out loud. He looked at me, I looked at him. And that was it. It was clear – we had to flee.

During a brief lull in the fighting, the family managed to leave the basement. Their street was in ruins. Their house had no windows and the neighboring house had been completely destroyed. At that moment, Alyona made the decision to evacuate.

"My husband and I didn’t even discuss it out loud,” she says. “He looked at me, I looked at him. And that was it. It was clear – we had to flee.”

Mother and daughter traveled by train to Germany, where they were granted temporary protection. “Her first words were a mix of Ukrainian and German,” says Alyona. “We were given great help and shelter there, but she only saw her father through Zoom.”

UNICEF-organized classes give children a chance to learn and play together

Today, more than 6.8 million Ukrainians who fled the country remain abroad due to the ongoing conflict. The majority are women and children, with stories similar to Alyona’s and Katya’s.

The pair spent a year and seven months in Leipzig, Germany before returning to central Balakliia. The local kindergarten is closed, as the situation in Kharkiv remains difficult. But Alyona takes her daughter to UNICEF-organized classes designed to improve children's access to early childhood education and care services.

"She has changed so much since we returned home,” she says. “Her socialization is happening at a completely different pace. She communicates more with other children now, because it’s easier for her to understand them here. She’s made her first friends, and she immediately started speaking more at home."

The first 1,000 days of a child's life are a critical period for brain development

Life for the family remains difficult. Air raid sirens are a daily reality. Alyona cannot go to work, as she has no one to leave her daughter with. But she tries to stay positive.

"We survived terrifying shelling, we survived emigration and now we are finally home,” she says. “I cannot allow myself to fall apart because Katya will feel it too. So we hope for the best. I believe the war will end. And if not kindergarten, then Katya will at least be able to go to school in peaceful times."

I cannot allow myself to fall apart because Katya will feel it too. So we hope for the best. — Alyona, Kharkiv 

The first years of a child’s life lay the foundation for everything that follows: how they move, think, communicate and connect with others. These early years shape their future well-being, potential and opportunities.

Related: How UNICEF and partners support early childhood development

In Ukraine, where families have been building their lives during the war, early childhood development is more critical than ever. Around 40 percent of preschool age children are missing out on regular early childhood education and care.

For children who are 3 years old today, war is the only reality they have ever known.

Every child has the right to a safe and healthy childhood

UNICEF is working in Ukraine with the government, partners and caregivers to ensure that every child gets the best possible start in life. Health professionals visit families at home, offering guidance on immunization, nutrition and early developmental milestones. 

For children between the ages of 3 and 6, UNICEF supports safe and inclusive early learning spaces where they can build essential skills, preparing them for kindergarten and beyond. And for those with developmental delays or disabilities, speech therapy, counseling and psychosocial support provide the extra care they need to thrive.

UNICEF is committed to sustaining this work — because investing in children today means a stronger and more resilient Ukraine tomorrow.

Learn more about UNICEF's work for vulnerable children and families in Ukraine. 

Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.

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