Emile Foundation

Bringing Ukraine’s Stolen Children Home

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, over 19,500 children have been officially identified as deported. They were taken from occupied areas, renamed, forced to speak Russian, and adopted through fast-track procedures. Estimates suggest the real number may range between 200.000 and 700.000.

The Emile Foundation (before: OFF – Orphan Feeding Foundation) works with the Ukrainian government through the Bring Kids Back UA programme. In 2025, it launches its first Little Heroes Village: a three-month reintegration centre designed to provide trauma care, educational support, and social reintegration for children and their families.

So far, the Emile Foundation has successfully returned 48 children to their families in Ukraine, and 60 new cases are actively being pursued. This process is complex and often delayed by bureaucratic red tape, the ongoing war, and long travel distances. The Foundation receives daily appeals from parents searching for their missing children. Each case is followed through with long-term administrative, psychological, financial, and medical support.

One of the children brought home is Sascha, who witnessed his mother and brother die while fleeing occupied territory. In Russia he was forced into child labor. The Foundation reunited him with his aunt, arranged trauma therapy, and covered his education. Today, Sascha is training in a car repair shop and received a BMX bike for his birthday - along with messages of support from world-class riders.

As the war continues, the Emile Foundation’s mission remains clear: bring every child home – and help them heal.