Deadline: 30-Jun-2026
The Ukrainian Children’s Welfare Foundation has announced a selection process for 10 non-governmental organizations to implement and promote the “Healing Forest” program in Ukraine. The program supports children aged 4–7 by strengthening psychological resilience through creative interaction with nature, art, play, and expressive activities. Selected NGOs will receive training, methodological materials, networking opportunities, and support for organizing local program events.
Overview
The Ukrainian Children’s Welfare Foundation is inviting non-governmental organizations to participate in the implementation and promotion of the “Healing Forest” program.
The initiative aims to preserve children’s mental health, strengthen psychological resilience, and provide psychosocial support for preschool and primary school children in Ukraine.
The program is especially relevant for children growing up in wartime conditions, where emotional safety, resilience, and supportive environments are essential for well-being.
Key Focus Areas
The Healing Forest program focuses on children’s mental health, psychosocial support, and resilience-building.
Key focus areas include:
- Preservation of children’s mental health
- Psychological resilience
- Psychosocial support
- Preschool and primary school children
- Children aged 4–7
- Creative interaction with nature
- Creative interaction with art
- Expressive creativity in nature
- Play-based emotional support
- Resilience development
- Local advocacy in mental health
- Children’s rights and well-being
- Professional capacity building for NGOs
- Knowledge exchange among trainers
Purpose of the Program
The purpose of the Healing Forest program is to help young children strengthen resilience and emotional well-being through safe, creative, and nature-based activities.
The program supports children’s natural ability to recover, adapt, and express emotions through play, imagination, art, and interaction with nature.
It also helps NGOs strengthen their capacity to deliver structured psychosocial support for young children.
Number of Organizations to be Selected
The Foundation plans to engage 10 non-governmental organizations.
Selected organizations will support the implementation and promotion of the Healing Forest program at the local level.
These organizations will contribute to strengthening children’s resilience and promoting mental health awareness in their communities.
Target Group
The program is designed for children aged 4–7.
This includes:
- Preschool children
- Primary school children
- Young children affected by stress or difficult circumstances
- Children growing up in wartime conditions
- Children who need safe spaces for emotional expression and resilience-building
Program Structure
The Healing Forest program consists of 12 sessions.
These sessions are designed to help children develop resilience through:
- Creative activities
- Nature-based interaction
- Artistic expression
- Play
- Imagination
- Safe group participation
- Emotional expression
- Supportive adult guidance
The sessions provide children with a structured but creative space to explore emotions, build confidence, and strengthen coping abilities.
Core Concept of Healing Forest
The core idea of the Healing Forest program is that children have natural resources for self-healing.
The program recognizes that children can recover and build resilience when they are supported by safe environments, caring adults, creative expression, and meaningful interaction with nature.
Adults play an important role by creating conditions where children can feel safe, express themselves, use imagination, and engage in healing activities through play and creativity.
Methodology
The Healing Forest methodology is based on the “Safe Place” program developed by Israeli psychologists Ronen Berger and Mouli Lahad.
The approach has been adapted and tested in educational institutions across Ukraine.
This provides a structured and scientifically grounded framework for supporting children’s emotional well-being and psychological resilience.
Benefits for Participating NGOs
Selected organizations will gain practical and professional benefits through participation.
Benefits include:
- Specialized training in the Healing Forest methodology
- Improved expertise in psychosocial support for young children
- Access to a complete package of information and methodological materials
- Ability to implement the program without additional methodology development
- Opportunity to support children affected by wartime conditions
- Experience in local mental health advocacy
- Stronger role in protecting children’s rights and well-being
- Participation in a network of program trainers
- Knowledge exchange with NGOs from other regions
- Coverage of costs related to organizing local program events
Training and Methodological Support
NGO teams will receive specialized training to help them implement the Healing Forest program effectively.
The training will help organizations understand:
- The program methodology
- Session structure
- Child-friendly facilitation
- Psychosocial support principles
- Creative and nature-based resilience activities
- Safe interaction with children aged 4–7
- Local advocacy approaches in mental health
Selected NGOs will also receive methodological materials needed to deliver the program.
Local Advocacy Component
The program also supports local advocacy in the field of mental health.
Participating NGOs will have opportunities to:
- Raise awareness about children’s mental health
- Promote the importance of psychosocial support
- Strengthen local mental health discussions
- Influence local policies and community practices
- Build partnerships with local stakeholders
- Position themselves as key actors in child well-being and protection
This advocacy component helps connect direct work with children to broader community-level change.
Networking and Knowledge Exchange
Selected organizations will become part of a network of program trainers.
This network will allow NGOs to:
- Exchange experiences with colleagues from other regions
- Share lessons learned
- Improve program delivery
- Strengthen professional connections
- Build long-term cooperation in child mental health and psychosocial support
Who is Eligible?
Applicants must be non-governmental organizations working in the field of children’s mental health.
Eligible organizations must:
- Be registered as non-profit entities
- Operate at the regional, city, or territorial community level
- Work in their place of registration
- Conduct activities in regions or communities not classified as frontline regions
- Demonstrate sufficient institutional capacity
- Be able to fulfill the obligations required by the project
- Have relevant experience or interest in children’s mental health, psychosocial support, education, or child well-being
Who Should Consider Applying?
This opportunity is suitable for NGOs that work with children and communities.
Relevant organizations may include NGOs focused on:
- Children’s mental health
- Psychosocial support
- Child protection
- Early childhood development
- Education
- Community resilience
- Art-based support
- Nature-based learning
- Family and child welfare
- Local mental health advocacy
What the Program Can Support
The program supports implementation and promotion of the Healing Forest approach.
Support may include:
- Training for NGO teams
- Methodological materials
- Implementation of 12 program sessions
- Local events under the program framework
- Advocacy activities linked to children’s mental health
- Networking and knowledge exchange
- Practical support for psychosocial work with young children
Why It Matters
Children in Ukraine continue to face psychological and emotional challenges caused by wartime conditions, displacement, insecurity, stress, and disruption to daily life.
Young children need safe and supportive spaces where they can express emotions, build resilience, and regain a sense of stability.
The Healing Forest program matters because it combines nature, art, creativity, play, and psychosocial support to help children strengthen their inner resources.
By involving local NGOs, the program also builds community-based capacity to support children’s mental health over the long term.
How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Application
Organizations should prepare a clear application that shows their eligibility, institutional capacity, experience, and commitment to implementing the Healing Forest program.
Step 1: Confirm Organizational Eligibility
Applicants should confirm that they are registered non-profit organizations.
They should also ensure that they operate at the regional, city, or territorial community level in their place of registration.
Step 2: Confirm Location Requirements
Organizations must conduct activities in regions or communities that are not classified as frontline regions.
Applicants should clearly state the location where they operate and where the program would be implemented.
Step 3: Demonstrate Relevant Experience
A strong application should show experience in areas such as:
- Children’s mental health
- Psychosocial support
- Child protection
- Work with preschool or primary school children
- Education and development activities
- Community-based programming
- Mental health awareness or advocacy
Step 4: Show Institutional Capacity
Applicants should demonstrate that they have the capacity to fulfill project obligations.
This may include:
- Experienced staff or volunteers
- Ability to organize sessions with children
- Experience managing community activities
- Administrative capacity
- Safeguarding awareness
- Local partnerships
- Ability to document and report activities
Step 5: Explain Local Need
Organizations should explain why the Healing Forest program is needed in their community.
The application may describe:
- Mental health needs of children
- Impact of wartime conditions
- Limited access to psychosocial support
- Need for resilience-building activities
- Importance of safe creative spaces for children
- Local advocacy needs in child mental health
Step 6: Describe Implementation Readiness
Applicants should explain how they will organize and promote the program locally.
This may include:
- Target children and families
- Session location
- Staff or facilitators involved
- Community partners
- Outreach approach
- Local event planning
- Advocacy activities
- Capacity to participate in training and networking
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid weak or incomplete submissions.
Common mistakes include:
- Applying without non-profit registration
- Applying from a frontline region or community
- Not showing experience in children’s mental health or child-focused work
- Failing to demonstrate institutional capacity
- Not explaining how the program will be implemented locally
- Providing vague information about staff or community reach
- Ignoring the advocacy component
- Not showing readiness to participate in training
- Not explaining how children aged 4–7 will be reached
- Not demonstrating commitment to safeguarding and child well-being
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should be practical, child-focused, and locally grounded.
Useful tips include:
- Clearly describe the organization’s work with children.
- Show experience in psychosocial support, education, or mental health.
- Explain the needs of children in the local community.
- Demonstrate the ability to organize safe sessions for children aged 4–7.
- Highlight staff capacity and relevant expertise.
- Explain how the organization will use the Healing Forest methodology.
- Show interest in advocacy for children’s mental health.
- Describe local partnerships or community connections.
- Confirm that the organization is not operating in a frontline region.
- Present a clear plan for participation in training, implementation, and reporting.
FAQ
1. What is the Healing Forest program?
The Healing Forest program is an initiative that helps children aged 4–7 strengthen psychological resilience through creative engagement with nature, art, play, and expressive activities.
2. Who is organizing the selection process?
The selection process has been announced by the Ukrainian Children’s Welfare Foundation.
3. How many NGOs will be selected?
The Foundation plans to engage 10 non-governmental organizations.
4. Who can apply?
Registered non-profit NGOs working in the field of children’s mental health may apply if they operate at the regional, city, or territorial community level and are not based in frontline regions or communities.
5. What age group does the program support?
The program supports children aged 4–7.
6. What support will selected NGOs receive?
Selected NGOs will receive specialized training, methodological materials, networking opportunities, and coverage of costs related to organizing local events within the program framework.
7. What methodology is the program based on?
The methodology is derived from the “Safe Place” program developed by Israeli psychologists Ronen Berger and Mouli Lahad and adapted for use in Ukraine.
Conclusion
The Healing Forest program offers an important opportunity for Ukrainian NGOs to support children’s mental health and psychological resilience through nature-based and creative psychosocial activities.
By selecting 10 non-governmental organizations, the Ukrainian Children’s Welfare Foundation aims to expand local capacity, promote children’s well-being, and strengthen mental health advocacy across communities. Strong applications should demonstrate non-profit status, relevant experience, institutional capacity, local implementation readiness, and commitment to supporting children aged 4–7 through the Healing Forest methodology.
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