As part of the National Accessibility Week, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, together with Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych, visited the supported living home “Family Home,” where people with disabilities live with care and support from specialists.
Currently, seven residents live at the “Family Home.” Some of them previously stayed in institutional care facilities, while others were raised in families. Each resident works with specialists, including a psychologist, occupational therapist, and rehabilitation specialist. Here, they not only receive social and everyday support but also have the opportunity to engage in sports and hobbies.
In addition, residents were assisted in finding employment. Some of them work at a sewing factory and in gardening-related jobs.
“I am glad to see how successfully they are working in Ukraine. This means that more and more Ukrainians with disabilities are gaining dignified opportunities for life, work, and development. They are no longer excluded from society. Therefore, society itself becomes more humane,” Olena Zelenska said.
The “Family Home” in the Kyiv region was established last year by the public organization “Family for People with Disabilities” with the support of the Ukrainian–Swiss project “Mental Health for Ukraine” (MH4U).
The Ministry of Social Policy, in partnership with the public sector, international organizations, local governments, and donors, is also implementing this service in other regions. In the Lviv region, 38 people live in supported living homes and apartments; in the Vinnytsia region – 11; in Bukovina – 11; and in the city of Kyiv – 6.
“Today, people with disabilities live either under the care of relatives or in institutional facilities. In such institutions, they are not integrated into the social life of communities and do not have opportunities to work or maintain contact with their families. By implementing the supported living service, we are changing this approach – creating an alternative to institutional care,” Oksana Zholnovych noted.
This year, the Volyn region, where five supported living homes are being created, as well as the Kirovohrad and Ternopil regions, also joined the pilot project.