VELUX joins groundbreaking event for Children’s Living Places in Ukraine
Today, October 14th, the SOS Children’s Villages organisations in Ukraine and Denmark announce Lviv as the first of three locations for the Children’s Living Places in Ukraine. VELUX participates in a groundbreaking ceremony that marks the beginning of construction of family-based care homes that will provide an alternative to regular care institutions in Ukraine, and contribute to the vital rebuilding of the country.
After a thorough review of infrastructure, security and authorities’ capacity to support housing arrangements for foster families, SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine (SOS Ukraine) chose Dubliany, a suburb of Lviv in Western Ukraine as the first location for the Children’s Living Places project. This project aims to take a leading role in reforming the childcare system in Ukraine by promoting preventive social work and family-based care for children without parental care. Lviv City Council recently signed the lease for a land plot, paving the way for construction to begin today.
We are very pleased to announce Lviv as the hosting municipality for our first Children’s Living Places location. In addition, we are grateful to Lviv City Council, which is very supportive and wants to be an active partner in reforming care for children in Ukraine. We look forward to developing the site with our partners, beginning construction of the houses and identifying the foster families, who will make these houses their homes.
We are beyond excited to see Living Places rise and serve such a meaningful purpose, securing a more promising future for children who will be living in these new homes. In the grand scheme of rebuilding Ukraine, it may be a small step, but it is a big step for the Ukrainian children that now can grow up in an environment that promotes health and well-being. And we look forward to seeing more homes built soon and help rebuild Ukraine.
Children’s Living Places was officially announced at the Ukraine Investment Forum 2.0 in Copenhagen in 2024, with the participation of Danish Minister of Business Morten Bødskov, then newly appointed Prime Minister of Ukraine Julija Svyrydenko, SOS Children’s Villages Denmark and Ukraine and several coalition partners.
Groundbreaking marks start of better care and better homes
The groundbreaking event marks new beginnings not only for the families and their new community, but also for Ukraine’s challenged childcare system, while contributing to the rebuilding of the country’s many destroyed homes.
Foster families, residents from the surrounding neighbourhood, members of Lviv City Council and partners from the large coalition of international partners behind the project will gather at the event to celebrate the new addition to the community.
The homes will be built according to the Living Places principles, an open-source concept developed by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT architects and Artelia engineers, aimed to create healthier, more sustainable homes.
Construction of the homes in Lviv is expected to be completed in early 2026, while the second and third locations for Children’s Living Places homes in Ukraine will be announced in 2026.
The coalition behind Children’s Living Places consists of SOS Children’s Villages in Ukraine, SOS Children’s Villages in Denmark, the Villum Foundation, Viessmann Foundation, Grundfos Foundation, Bitten & Mads Clausen Foundation, Somfy Foundation, DOVISTA, VELUX Ukraine, Artelia, Kromann Reumert, DFDS, iC Cube, Archymatyka and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO).
Facts
- The Children’s Living Places project will build new family-based care environments in Ukraine in three different locations supporting the change from institution to foster family care in Ukraine
- In November 2024, the reform “Strategy for Ensuring the Right of Every Child to Grow Up in a Family Environment’ (2024-2028)” was passed by the Ukrainian Government. The strategy includes a comprehensive review of legislation in childcare during 2025-2027
- Each cluster of Children’s Living Places houses will consist of three family homes, one social centre, one pavilion and one bomb shelter as per Ukrainian law on three locations across Ukraine
- The principles of the Living Places concept are to create homes that are healthy, affordable, simple, shared over time, and scalable
- As of February 2025, 236,000 residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed according to Kyiv School of Economics
- As of February 2025, the United Nations Development Programme estimates the reconstruction cost will be 524 billion US dollars
About SOS Children's Villages
Comprising more than 130 national associations, SOS Children's Villages is the world’s largest NGO focused on ensuring that children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it, grow up with loving care, long-term relationships and continuous support.
About the VELUX Group
VELUX roof windows have been bringing daylight and fresh air into peoples’ homes around the world for more than 80 years, creating better living environments. We offer a range of products including roof windows and modular skylights, decorative blinds, sun screening products, and roller shutters, as well as installation and smart home solutions. They help create bright, healthy, and energy-efficient places for people who live, work, learn, and play under the roof. We work globally – with sales and manufacturing operations in 37 countries and around 12,000 employees worldwide. The VELUX Group is owned by VKR Holding A/S, a limited company owned by the Villum Foundation and members of the Kann Rasmussen family. In 2024, the VELUX Group had a total revenue of EUR 2.96 billion while VKR Holding had a total revenue of EUR 3.87 billion. The same year, the Villum Foundation and the VELUX FOUNDATION donated a total of EUR 169 million in charitable grants.
For more information about the VELUX Group, visit velux.com