DOW is building the capacity of local social service agencies to provide psychosocial and medical services to street and at-risk children and youth at a Drop-In Center in Chernihiv, Ukraine, to combat the growing number of children and youth either orphaned or deprived of parental care. Through its partnerships with local organizations and regional and national governments, DOW disseminates its best practices to build capacity within the Ukrainian national health system.

Our comprehensive programs build brighter futures for street and at-risk children and youth by facilitating access to medical and social services that they are often denied, such as education, vocational training, and health services. Our programs also provide an alternative to dangerous street lifestyles, aiming to reduce alarming rates of HIV and other diseases that result from high-risk behaviors, and addressing and treating problems such as substance abuse.