Meet Sister Yulia

Last week, we had the honor of visiting the Ridni Center for Social Support of Children and Families in Lviv — and what we witnessed there changed how we think about what’s possible.

Sister Yulia leads a team doing urgent, life-changing work — providing immediate safety for children in crisis, then working to make reunification with biological families possible. Only when that isn’t viable do they place children in foster or family-type homes. A team of four — including a social worker and psychologist — is assigned to each child to develop a plan and ensure a successful transition.

When we asked Sister Julia what she did before taking this role, her answer was simple: she prayed. For 25 years. God clearly prepared her for this work.

But here’s what struck us most: Sister Yulia doesn’t just lead this work. She lives it. She fosters ten girls herself. She has given her life to making sure that children who’ve already lost so much don’t have to grow up without a place to belong.

This isn’t institutional care. This is restoring childhood. Without this program, these children would have nowhere else to go.

Ridni is leading Ukraine’s transformation toward family-based care. We are proud to begin partnering with them to strengthen and expand projects like this one.

Every child deserves to grow up in a loving family. And models like Ridni’s aren’t just helping children today — they’re shaping the future of child protection across Ukraine.