Christian Orphan Care in Ukraine

Every child deserves a family, not an institution.

Mission 823 raises orphaned and vulnerable Ukrainian children in loving, family-style homes led by trained Christian parents. For just $40 a month, you can care for one child in a family home.

✓ Serving Ukraine’s children since 2001✓ 501(c)(3) · tax-deductible✓ All-Ukrainian team on the ground

Why family homes

Children Heal in Families, Not Institutions

For decades, Ukraine placed children who lost parental care in large orphanages and boarding schools. Most of these children are not true orphans. They are “social orphans” removed from abuse, neglect, addiction or poverty, and now the war has added thousands more who lost homes and parents. Institutions can feed and house a child. They cannot give a child a mom, a dad and a place to belong.

Ukraine has set a national goal of moving 95% of these children into family-based care by 2028 (UNICEF). Mission 823 has been building toward that same future for years: family-type homes where trained adoptive and foster parents raise children as their own, supported by our all-Ukrainian team and grounded in the love of Jesus Christ.

Where your gift goes

Faith House: A Real Family Today

18children supported in family homes through Mission 823

2adoptive families supported

$40cares for one child for one month

25+years serving children in Ukraine

Plus warm meals for hungry children in front-line Nikopol, free healing camps, and winter relief for families across Ukraine. Read our 2025–2026 Impact Report →

What $40 a month provides

Your Gift Cares for the Whole Child

Your monthly gift is pooled to care for every child in our family homes, so no child is left out because no one chose them.

A safe homeA stable family and a safe place to grow up

Nutritious mealsHealthy food for growing children

Trauma careSpecialists who help children heal

EducationA path to school, trade or university

Loving parentsTrained, licensed Christian mom and dad

Hope in ChristSpiritual care through local churches

Secure giving · Tax-deductible · Cancel anytime

Faith House, a Mission 823 family home for children in Ukraine, at sunset — Children who once had no one now have a mom, a dad, brothers and sisters, and a place to belong.Faith House, a Mission 823 family home in Ukraine

The Pestrushko family, who lead Faith House in Ukraine

A real family, a real home

Meet the Family at Faith House

At Faith House, Julia and Sergei Pestrushko are raising children who lost their families, including newly adopted teens. Through Faith House, Mission 823 now supports 18 children in family homes, plus one more adoptive family nearby. During the war, Faith House also sheltered dozens of people displaced from the front lines.

This is what Christian orphan care looks like: not a program number, but a family.

“Defend the poor and fatherless: Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: Rescue them out of the hand of the wicked.”Psalm 82:3-4, the heart of Mission 823

Our approach

Family Home or Orphanage: What’s the Difference?

Institutional care

Dozens of children per building
Rotating shift staff, not parents
Children age out at 16–18 with little support

Mission 823 family homes

A mom and dad raising a family
Siblings kept together where possible
Trauma care, school and church community
Support that continues into adulthood

Christian Orphan Care: Frequently Asked Questions

What does $40 a month provide?

It covers the cost of caring for one child in a Mission 823 family home for one month, including food, a safe home, school needs, trauma care and loving Christian parents. Gifts are pooled so every child in the home is cared for.

Are these children orphans?

Some have lost their parents. Many are “social orphans” removed from abuse, neglect or poverty, and others were displaced by the war. All of them need a safe, loving family.

Where are the family homes?

Faith House and our partner adoptive family are in Ukraine, and our all-Ukrainian team serves children and families in places like Kharkiv, Nikopol, Dnipro, Oleksandrivka, Pidhaichyky and across Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. To protect the children, we do not publish home addresses.

Can I write to or meet a specific child?

To protect the children, we do not facilitate letters or contact with individual children. Partners can apply to travel with our team to Ukraine and see the work in group settings. Read our child-safe promise →

How much of my gift reaches Ukraine?

For other designated funds, 90% is sent directly to the projects, with 10% set aside for administration and management. Camp sponsorships go 100% to supporting children in Ukraine.

Is my gift tax-deductible?

Yes. Mission 823, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 82-5088294). Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and you’ll receive a thank-you email and year-end tax statement.

Is Mission 823 a Christian organization?

Yes. Mission 823 is a Christian organization, and our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. That same faith compels us to serve everyone in need. We serve children and families regardless of their background or beliefs, as far as our resources allow. Read more in our full FAQ.

Keep Exploring Mission 823

Become a partner today

Give a Child in Ukraine a Family

Join the partners who defend, rescue and restore Ukraine’s most vulnerable children. $40 a month cares for one child in a family home.

Questions? Call (352) 432-8587 or email office@mission823.com