Mentor, Ohio and Lviv, Ukraine (March 24, 2022) — New Horizons For Children (NHFC), a US-based non-profit with a decade of tenure delivering services to vulnerable and orphaned children in Ukraine, announced today it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Lviv Regional Military to deliver services in western Ukraine to the country’s orphaned children and their local caregivers. 

 “New Horizons has supported orphaned Ukrainian children for over a decade with trauma-informed care, relationship building, educational resources and humanitarian aid,” said NHFC CEO Sherri McClurg, PsyD. “The war zones have created challenges beyond anything we have seen for thousands of orphans who are now without boarding schools and traditional support systems. We are humbled by the outpouring of support to rapidly expand our mission, trauma informed practices and services in partnership with the Lviv Regional Military.” 

Under the MOU, effective as of March 12, NHFC and Aerial Recovery are partnering with Lviv regional authorities to evacuate orphaned children and establish safe havens for them close to Ukraine’s western border. Children and their caregivers are relocated from war zones to the safer facilities where the children receive room and board, food, medical care and other resources. Some are also equipped with proper government documents and permits should future travel become necessary. 

To date, Aerial Recovery and NHFC have delivered immediate support for nearly 1,000 children since late February and will continue to monitor and meet the needs of the increasing number of children arriving at the safe havens daily. Throughout this process, all children will remain under the authority of the Ukrainian government and stay with their known caregivers.

“We are committed to providing solutions at this time that deliver support to Ukraine’s orphans and their caregivers so that they can remain in the country safely and as long as possible. This approach significantly reduces risks and increases success for trauma-informed care compared to quickly moving the children into other cultures, languages, and systems,” said McClurg. “As the situation on the ground develops, we will continue to work with the Lviv authorities and our nonprofit partners to ensure we keep the safety of Ukraine’s children at the forefront of all our services.” 

New Horizons for Children, Inc. is led by Dr. Sherri McClurg, a clinical psychologist with a specialty in trauma-informed care for children. She has served as CEO of NHFC since 2015 and also operates a practice in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. As CEO of NHFC, McClurg has actively been on the ground in Ukraine since the onset of the war facilitating support among local authorities, local caregivers and various services of other NGOs in the region. 

To learn more and donate to NHFC’s efforts in Ukraine, click here.

###

About New Horizons for Children, Inc.

New Horizons for Children, Inc. is a faith-based, international non-profit that has served vulnerable and orphaned children in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Central America since 2005. NHFC is a 501(c)(3) charity. Learn more about NHFC here: www.nhfc.org