Project “Strengthening resilience & improving mental health of children in Ukraine through training programme for professionals on trauma” is being implemented in partnership with the ChildFund Deutschland e.V. with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Period of implementation: September 2023 - February 2026
Project region: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi regions.
The project is aimed at strengthening resilience and improving the mental health of children aged 4-7 years in 6 pilot regions of Ukraine.
Main activities:
- translation of the Israeli program "The Healing forest in post-crisis work with children" aimed at strengthening the stress-resilience skills of children aged 4-7 years who have experienced typical causes of stress such as parental divorce, moving, illness of a loved one or bullying, and after major crises , such as war, terrorism and natural disasters;
- conducting educational events for educators regarding the implementation of the "Healing Forest" program in preschool and primary education institutions;
- consulting and informational support for specialists implementing the "Healing Forest" program;
- carrying out an information campaign aimed at inculcating a culture of mental well-being and resilience skills in children's everyday life.
Key results:
- The manual “Healing Forest in Post-Crisis Work with Children” has been translated into Ukrainian.
The manual was developed by Israeli psychotherapists Muli Lahad and Ronen Berger for working with children aged 4–7 who are in an emergency situation, including war, in order to strengthen their stress-resistance skills. The manual is printed in a print run of 1,000 copies and is distributed free of charge among professionals. The publication is also available for review on the website of the Child Well-being Fund Ukraine.
- The Israeli methodology "Healing Forest" was tested in the realities of the Ukrainian education system.
The piloting of the “Healing Forest” methodology was attended by 27 pedagogical workers from 12 educational institutions in the six target regions of the project. The testing covered 230 children aged 4 to 8. The results of the testing demonstrated a statistically significant positive impact on the psycho-emotional state of children who had completed all sessions of the program, namely, a decrease in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder was observed among children who had previously exhibited them, increased resilience, development of self-regulation skills, improved social interaction, and decreased anxiety.
- Methodological recommendations “Healing Forest: Growing Resilience and Basic Sense of Children” have been published.
Based on the results of testing the "Healing Forest" methodology, the project experts developed methodological recommendations for educators regarding the specifics of implementing the program in educational institutions in Ukraine. These recommendations were presented to educators during training events on the methodology for implementing the program.
- 551 educators completed training to become facilitators of children's groups "Healing Forest".
32 specialists who previously participated in the program testing and underwent appropriate training conducted training for 25 groups of educators (519 participants) on the specifics of the “Healing Forest” methodology. The training program consists of two 3-day face-to-face events and two webinars (totaling 50 academic hours).
- The landing page for the "Healing Forest" program was created.
The website contains information about the program's concept, its history, the BASIC Ph resource-based stress management model on which the methodology is based. A promotional video is also available which was created during the testing, as well as feedback from specialists who worked with the program, and children's success stories that demonstrate a positive impact on their psycho-emotional state.
- The Telegram channel “On a break!” is open for educators who have joined the project.
The channel where professionals have the opportunity to share their impressions of the training, the program, and receive additional information related to resilience and related topics
- A series of videos has been created for different target groups and distribution channels:
- video about the testing of the "Healing Forest" methodology in a kindergarten in Cherkasy city;
- a series of videos with facilitators' feedback on the benefits of the Healing Forest program for children and educators
- videos with project experts to popularize the ideas of the "Healing Forest" program among the educational community:
- What is the practical significance of the BASIC Ph stress resistance model (Leonid Nikolayev, PhD in Psychology, project expert);
- about the philosophy of the Healing Forest program (Olena Nahula, PhD in Psychology, project methodology specialist);
- How the "Healing Forest" program promotes children's cohesion (Zhanna Savych, psychologist, project expert);
- why rituals are important and how they are integrated into the Healing Forest program (Leonid Nikolayev, PhD in Psychology, project expert)
- videos for parents "Hiking in nature!" to promote healing activities with children in nature, video about the results of implementing healing sessions.
- All project participants are provided with informational, educational and visibility handouts (flags for groups, badges and blooming cards for children, scarves and resilience cubes for facilitators, posters for institutions, and brochures for parents);
- A special project has been developed for parents.
A special project developed jointly with Hromadske media, aimed at parents of preschool and primary school children, dedicated to the issue of children's mental health and the "Healing Forest" methodology, which helps support it. The project reached over 600,000 readers and viewers and includes a long read, video, a series of illustrations with tips, and publications on social networks. The materials of the special project, designed as a landing page, are available to the audience on the Hromadske media page.
- In 2025 208 educational institutions have already launched the "Healing Forest" program for 5,687 children aged 4–7.
The results of the analysis of data from surveys of parents, teachers, and educators whose children and students were covered by the "Healing Forest" program confirmed the positive impact of the program on the psycho-emotional state of children, which the project team also observed during the program's testing phase. Overall, the program has proven its effectiveness in increasing children's resilience to stress, developing emotional expressiveness, social skills, and self-regulation.
In particular, classes according to the program contribute to:
- Reduced manifestations of stress and traumatic experiences. The frequency of many symptoms, including increased arousal, inability to freely express one's experiences, sleep problems, vivid reactions to alarm signals, constantly low mood, and rapid fatigue, has significantly decreased.
- Improved emotional expressiveness. More children learned to name their emotions, explain what is bothering them, and use metaphors to express their experiences. The proportion of those who react to difficulties by crying decreased.
- Development of imagination and creativity. The share of children in whom both parents and teachers and educators note a level of imagination has also increased. At the same time, low ratings among parents are not observed at all.
- Improved social interaction. The number of children who show initiative in communication, are ready to help and empathize with others has increased. Fewer children have become withdrawn or uninitiative.
- Increased interaction with nature and cognitive activity. Children spend more time outdoors, explore the environment more often, and show curiosity and observation.
- Development of self-regulation skills. After completing the program, the number of children using breathing and relaxation exercises, imaginary “safe places,” or adult support to calm down increased. The proportion of children who cannot calm down on their own has decreased.
- Increased physical activity. More parents report their children participating in outdoor games and activities, while fewer parents report their children preferring gadgets or passive activities.
The analytical report on the results of the external evaluation of the project (in English).
Project coordinator: Yuliya Maliyenko.