After three years of war against Russia, more and more Ukrainian couples are deciding to adopt orphans. The rates doubled since the start of the invasion, but becoming a foster parent in the midst of war can be a difficult process, as DW's Nimisha Jaiswal reports.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Growing up underground.
00:04For the 41 young children living in this orphanage in Ukraine's Poltava region, this
00:09basement shelter is a second home.
00:13They sleep here so their nights aren't disrupted by air raids.
00:18But they often have to come here in the daytime too.
00:21When there isn't an air raid, we use every chance to keep the kids out in the fresh air.
00:28When they're not sleeping or eating, they're outside.
00:34Katya and Volodymyr want to offer one child something else.
00:38A home.
00:40This Lyubomir is also interesting.
00:42He even looks a little like you.
00:44Yes, I want one with blonde hair.
00:50They're planning and hoping to adopt.
00:53You're also considering Sebastian?
00:55Yes, I am.
00:58They don't have an age or gender in mind.
01:01They just want a little sibling for their 11-year-old daughter, Sonia.
01:06Look at his cheeks.
01:07He looks a lot like our Sonia.
01:10She was also chubby like that.
01:12The couple have wanted to adopt for a long time.
01:15But their plans were derailed when Russians occupied their hometown, Bucha, at the start
01:21of the war.
01:24Now they're taking part in a training for prospective adoptive parents.
01:29I see my daughter when the explosions start, and she gets scared.
01:39She can only sleep in the lap of someone comforting, like her mum or dad.
01:48Kids need a feeling of safety, the protection parents give.
01:52Unfortunately, the children in the orphanage don't have this.
01:55They are among more and more Ukrainians who are signing up to adopt.
02:03Adoption trainer Anastasia Podolska says the process is emotional and difficult.
02:10For me, it's a positive result when a family adopts a child.
02:15But it's also a good result when adults find the strength to tell themselves, we're not
02:20ready.
02:21Tatia and Volodymyr feel ready and already have a plan.
02:27As Tatia talks about the future, she's interrupted by a message on her phone.
02:32The decision on whether they can adopt is waiting for them at the post office.
02:38I can open it in front of you, but if it's negative, it's not going to be very good material.
02:45Everything hinges on this.
02:47They'll only tell their daughter about the whole plan if the decision is positive.
02:53It's a yes.
02:57The process can take months, but maybe one of these children will find a home and become
03:05part of a new family with Tatia and Volodymyr.