The sudden uprooting of families that began on February 24th marked the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. This has left people and especially children subject to long-term stress and at risk of deteriorating mental health under the sudden change in their circumstances and the disruption of their routine.
To address these challenges, Good Neighbours UK (GNUK) has partnered with UNICEF to embed and expand their psychosocial support programme at Blue Dot Centres set up at key Romanian border points where Ukrainian children and their families are most likely to require the first aid intervention. UNICEF has recognised Good Neighbours’ decades-long expertise in child protection and delivering psychosocial support to children and their carers in times of need.
GNUK speaks to Kirsten Antoncich, our UKCP Consultant child psychotherapist who went to Romania to train and work with local professionals specialised in child protection and support. Here are her insights.