23-year-old Lviv resident Andrii Vydiuk is the youngest foster parent in the Lviv community. Together with his wife Olena, the couple have set up a family-style children’s home and are raising ten children: their biological daughter Yustynka and nine boys and girls whom, in their words, they have “given birth to with their hearts”.
The dream of welcoming into their family children who had lost parental care appeared in Andrii and Olena even before they got married. They talked about wanting to have children of their own and at the same time give a home to those who needed it most. Later this dream became a reality when nine siblings moved into their family-style children’s home all at once.
Their path to foster parenthood began with volunteering. Andrii and Olena helped at a Child Support Centre, where they met the children who would later become part of their family. One girl in particular, Solomiia, stayed in their memory: every farewell with her was painful, and she kept asking when they would take her home for good. It was this experience that made the couple realise they wanted to become parents specifically to these nine children.
Their new life has brought a great deal of joy, but also many challenges. Andrii admits that as a young father of a large family, he sometimes feels “between two worlds”: he can talk about children with other foster parents, but they are older than he is, while people his own age do not always understand such a choice. His greatest support comes from his wife and close friends.
The daily rhythm of their large family starts very early. While Olena or the older children prepare breakfast, Andrii wakes the schoolchildren, gets them ready for school and then drives the younger ones to nursery or school. After that, he returns home to work remotely. Each child has their own chores around the house, and the family try to deal with everyday tasks together, without any rigid division into “men’s” or “women’s” work.
Regular trips to hospital have become a separate part of family life: three of the children have haemophilia and need ongoing treatment. Twice a week they receive an intravenous medication, which takes up almost a whole day and requires strict discipline. Andrii acknowledges that this illness is one of the hardest trials for everyone.
Despite the difficulties, love remains the main value in the Vydiuk home. Andrii says he tries, first and foremost, to really listen to each child, talk to them and be there for them. He feels the difference between raising his biological daughter and the children who went through traumatic experiences before joining the family, as the foster children’s past is not fully known and reveals itself gradually.
Andrii’s relatives fully supported the couple’s decision to set up a family-style children’s home. When the children first came into their family, the parents did not insist that they immediately start calling them mum and dad, leaving this to the children to decide. Now most of the children call Andrii dad, except for the oldest boys, who are not much younger than he is.
Father’s Day has a special meaning for Andrii. He admits that it is important for him to show the children an example of a strong, caring family so that in future they will be able to build happy families of their own. He regards the children’s greetings on this day as one of the most precious acknowledgements he could receive.
The large family have also developed their own traditions. Their favourite one is “free Friday”. On this day the children can treat themselves to their favourite snacks, go to bed later and spend more time with their parents talking and watching films together.
The children greatly appreciate the care and openness of their foster dad, and his wife Olena calls Andrii her “sunshine dad” for his kindness, his ability to be on the same wavelength as teenagers and to create a sense of safety both for the older ones and the youngest.
Lviv City Council describe the Vydiuk family’s story as an example of responsible fatherhood and a true vocation. The head of the Children’s Services Department of Lviv City Council, Volodymyr Frydrak, stresses that despite his young age, Andrii has demonstrated maturity and readiness for raising a large family, and that their family-style children’s home has become a place of love, acceptance and support for ten children.