Eugenia Shyryaieva is a psychologist involved in a joint project of the charitable foundations “Global2000 Charity Fund for Children of Ukraine” and “Volunteers: Adults for Children,” which provides systemic support to foster families in the Kharkiv region. The project is funded by the United Kingdom. Eugenia shared insights into the support families receive from psychologists.
The psychologist’s role in the project involves interacting with families who have created family-type orphanages (FTO). The psychologist works with the foster family for a certain period, providing recommendations to the family. All of this is essential in helping the family establish harmonious relationships and live joyfully.
“Based on observations, the psychologist assesses the overall atmosphere within the family, how each child and the parents feel. The psychologist’s task is to identify problems and provide psychological assistance,” says Eugenia.
Most often, parents seek help from the psychologist when they feel the need to improve communication with children who have recently joined the family.
“The parents’ request is usually about how to behave in these situations. The rehabilitation of a child takes more time than it might initially seem. Therefore, parents need to be patient. But eventually, everything works out,” continues the expert.
The psychologist also assists in integrating the child into a specific foster family. This is done to ensure that all children, both new and those who were already part of the foster family, feel comfortable.
“Parents must take full responsibility for the children and how they will raise them. I would recommend organizing sessions for potential foster parents, bringing them together to share their concerns and achievements, experiences, and plans,” believes Eugenia.