Not only spring, but every season of the year at the St. Nicholas Day Care Centre in Ivano-Frankivsk is beautiful, thanks to the smiles of the children brightening up the place every day, and the fantastic, dedicated educators – the Centre’s staff. Despite the ongoing war, the St.Nicholas Day Care Centre is running at full capacity, offering – as in previous years – educational and psychological support to children disadvantaged by the war. The Centre’s staff updates the schedule of activities, responding to the changing needs of children and making the offer more attractive with new activities. There is never any boredom at the Centre, and smiles and joy can be found there every day.

Among the new activities the children are enjoying are robotics and a financial education course. This course is not just theory – participants learn the basics of financial management, a responsible attitude to money, budgeting, saving and investing. They will have the opportunity to develop the basics of their business idea, which they can implement in the future if they wish so. There were plenty of people willing to participate, so another group will be starting soon.

For the youngest children, a course was organised to prepare them for school. The course is taught using active methods and plays an important, compensatory role. The Day Care Centre sees many internally displaced children whose living conditions are difficult and who are struggling to adapt to their new circumstances.

The Day Care Centre continues to provide psychological support; it offers art therapy classes, group psychological classes and individual meetings with a psychologist in a quiet room.

Young people can benefit from a course on digital hygiene, digital addiction prevention, safe use of the internet and social media, taught by a psychologist.

In addition to the regular daily activities at the Centre, excursions are organised. Recently, the children and their carers went to the fire station (SEE REPORT) and the tram depot (SEE REPORT).

A weekend trip for 40 children took place in early March. The children spent two days in a beautiful location in the mountains, where they participated in a variety of games and activities and had time to reflect on the upcoming Easter holidays.

In addition to having fun and integrating, the children were inspired by the animators to reflect on serious topics such as friendship. Participants asked themselves questions and discussed how to find the courage to take on new challenges, what role money, objects and clothes play in our lives, how to be true to our beliefs and how to surround ourselves with people who help and support us in overcoming difficulties.

‘Spiritually we grew, we reflected on important issues, we were learning. Together, we searched for answers to important questions, enjoyed moments together and spent time outdoors. We supported each other, shared our experiences and prayed for Ukraine,’ the participants recall.

Educators at the St. Nicholas Day Care Centre try to compile the schedule of activities in such a way that it supports the all-round development of children and young people – charges of the Day Care Centre. Emotional security, stability and recovering mental wellbeing are important. Art therapy makes it possible to calm down and regulate emotions.

The classes allow creative, artistic and musical development. Art therapy workshops help regulating tension and anxiety, but also allow the development of specific practical skills: sewing, weaving, leatherwork, carpentry. Culinary classes, a favourite with the younger charges, provide an opportunity to enjoy being in a group, experience one’s own competence and agency and teach cooking skills.

The Day Care Centre promotes the integral development of children and young people, taking into account the emotional, intellectual, social, moral and spiritual spheres.

The Day Care Centre's leaders place a strong emphasis on the development of the social competences of the Centre's charges. During trips and workshops, team games and activities teaching communication and cooperation in a group play an important role. Volunteers are important at the Day Care Centre and support the staff in organising and conducting activities. Youth volunteers are trained in effective organisation and running of social projects. In this way, they develop many needed personal competences, but also learn to take on roles and responsibilities for the common good and for those in need around them. It is important to emphasise the important role of the St. Nicholas Day Care Centre in Ivano-Frankivsk in building community, fostering social ties and in shaping young people to take action for the benefit of the local community. And all this in an attractive, interesting and active form.

A course for volunteers will start in April, preparing them to carry out a project in the area of mental health care for the wards of the Day Care Centre.

Spring has sprung, but let’s go back to the beginning of the year for a moment. In January, during the Christmas break, a half-school was held at the St. Nicholas Day Care Centre, under the motto: ‘A time of Christmas traditions’. Seventy-five children took part in the activities for a week.

The week was filled with creative workshops that introduced the children to Christmas traditions.

Participants made stars – a symbol of light and hope, learned about the traditions of preparing for Christmas Eve, tasted homemade kutia and other traditional dishes, made masks, made music with carols, and had plenty of opportunity for free play.

At the end, the children presented the result of the week’s workshops to their parents and carers in a performance.

What a time of great joy and creative work it was. See for yourself:

WATCH THE REPORT ON THE WINTER HALF-TERM SCHOOL

Thanks to the donors of the St. Nicholas Foundation, thousands of children in need were helped. However, we must not forget that the war is still going on and the sea of needs is growing. We appeal for help and ask for your generosity. How can you help?

Make a donation to:

Fundacja Świętego Mikołaja

Volkswagen Bank Polska S.A

37 2130 0004 2001 0299 9993 0002

transfer title: donation to help children in Ukraine

In 2025, the operation of the St. Nicholas Day Care Centre in Ivano-Frankivsk is co-financed from the state budget under Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, as part of the project ‘Providing psychological assistance to children harmed by warfare in Ukraine’, in the amount of PLN 493,400.