Mental Health Support for Preschoolers in Ukraine

We want to begin with gratitude — to each of you who has believed in the "Healing Forest" and stood by us along the way.

In 2025, the program expanded beyond what we had imagined. 551 education professionals were trained and equipped with the methodology. 5,457 children took part in healing sessions across Ukraine. And through a large-scale awareness campaign — including partnerships with national media — over one million adults discovered the importance of psychological support for preschoolers.

But behind every number is a child. And we want to tell you about one of them.

In a group in Ternopil, there was a boy who never spoke. Not a single word. He would smile, nod, sit beside the others — but always at a distance. His teacher confirmed it: he simply did not communicate.

Week after week, the facilitators passed him the Voice Staff — a simple object, but one that carries a kind of quiet promise: your voice matters here. Week after week, he held it in silence.

Then, around the seventh session, something shifted. The Staff reached him. He looked up — and said, out loud: "Yes."

Just one word. But the room felt it.

The following week, he walked in carrying a small glass jar. Inside: a little grass, and a few toy soldier ants. "I asked my dad to make this for me," he said, and held it up for everyone to see. For several more weeks, he kept bringing new ants and releasing the old ones — his own quiet ritual, offered to the group.

This is what the "Healing Forest" does. Not through pressure, but through patience. Not through instruction, but through trust.

Like the roots of forest trees, our network runs deep. Across six regions of Ukraine — Vinnytsia, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Cherkasy, and Chernivtsi — educators stay connected, exchange ideas, and draw strength from one another. In small groups, children learn to identify their emotions, navigate difficult moments, and find their voice — one session at a time.

A New Chapter — And We Need Your Help

The grant funding that has supported this project is coming to an end. But the "Healing Forest" is not closing — it is stepping into a new phase. Our aim is to transition to self-sustaining funding so this program can continue and reach even more children across Ukraine.

Your support matters now more than ever. Please consider donating — and share our story. Because somewhere out there, there is another child holding a Voice Staff in silence, waiting for the moment they feel safe enough to speak.

The forest is resilient. So are these children. And with you beside us, so are we.

Links:

• External evaluation of the "Healing Forest" program