In Bucha, Kyiv region, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska handed over the keys to a new home to the Hrantsev large foster family.
Due to the Russian occupation, Liliia and Andrii Hrantsev were forced to leave their home in the Kherson region. Despite difficult circumstances, the couple took in children who had been left without parental care. The family now raises seven foster children – including two brothers who lost their parents because of the war – as well as their biological son Bohdan. Until now, the large foster family had been living in a rented apartment in Bucha.
The Room for Childhood project, implemented by the Olena Zelenska Foundation, supports large foster families. A total of 22 such families have already received new homes, while another 16 houses are at various stages of construction.
“We are convinced that every child should grow up in a family. That is why supporting family-based care is one of my Foundation’s priorities. The Room for Childhood project provides fully equipped homes for large foster families, designed with children’s needs in mind, including safe shelters and access to essential infrastructure. A home is much more than walls. It is a place where a child feels care, protection, and confidence in the future,” the First Lady said.
In addition to the new home, the Hrantsev family also received a minibus, provided by the Kyiv Regional State Administration.
The new house was built with the support of Danish partners, the A.P. Moller Relief Foundation. Earlier this month, two large foster families in the Mykolaiv region also received new homes built with support from the Foundation’s Danish partners.