Chernivtsi to host Butterflies of Hope 2026 summit to support vulnerable children

10.09.2026, 07:55 rubryka.com

The summit will bring together more than 500 participants, including doctors, social workers, managers, lawyers, opinion leaders, representatives of state institutions, communities, and civil society organizations. International speakers will include Berthold Koletzko (Germany), president of the European Academy of Paediatrics; William M. Novick (the US), a legend in pediatric cardiac surgery; Rachel Clarke, one of the founders of modern palliative care in Britain; Joanne Wolfe, chief physician at Mass General for Children in the US; Barbara Perrone (Italy), coordinator of the pediatric palliative care network service in the province of Ascoli Piceno; and Holly Clark of Spain, a specialist in child life and psychosocial support for children.

Photo source: City of Goodness

The summit program includes more than 60 professional talks. Over two days, three lecture halls will operate simultaneously, alongside eight practical workshops.

One of the summit speakers is Rachel Clarke from the United Kingdom, one of the best-known specialists in modern palliative medicine, an NHS palliative care doctor, and the author of four Sunday Times bestselling books about medicine.

The House of Butterflies hospice, which operates at the City of Goodness in Chernivtsi, does extraordinarily important work: it cares for children with incurable diseases, including those who have suffered severe, life-changing injuries as a result of the war.

The House of Butterflies team is a powerful example of highly professional and deeply humane pediatric palliative care in Ukraine. During my visit in June, I was profoundly moved by the compassion, dedication, and professional skill of everyone who cares for children and their families every day. Chernivtsi, we are coming! I cannot wait to meet many Ukrainian palliative care specialists very soon," Rachel said.

Photo source: City of Goodness

One of the summit's key topics will be cases in which children with palliative status find themselves in difficult life circumstances.

Representatives of Ukraine's Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police and juvenile prevention units, the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service of Ukraine, local self-government, medical institutions, and the civil society sector will take part in the discussions.

Photo source: City of Goodness

The discussion will focus on specific questions: how to assess risks to the life and health of a child receiving palliative care, and how to act if a child is left without parents, loses housing because of the war, or needs specialized care.

Participants will also present a pathway for a child with a palliative condition, from the medical system to social services, child welfare services, law enforcement agencies, and the community.

Photo source: City of Goodness

The summit will focus not only on protocols and theory. Specialists will analyze real clinical and social cases involving children who need comprehensive support. This will help identify where the system currently loses time and opportunities for a child, and what can be changed in practice.

This is especially important for Ukraine: the pediatric palliative care system still has gaps, some pathways need improvement, and some necessary forms of support still need to be created.

That is why Butterflies of Hope combines a medical conference, practical training, and interagency dialogue in one space.

Photo source: City of Goodness

Pediatric palliative care sits at the intersection of several systems: medicine, social protection, education, rehabilitation, and the protection of children's rights. Rehabilitation, nutrition, care, psychological support, education, development, safe living conditions, and the ability to remain a child all remain crucial.

Participants will analyze this interaction at Butterflies of Hope.

Specialists from Ukraine, the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Georgia, and Moldova will take part in the summit.

Participants will consider international experience alongside the practice of Ukrainian medical and social teams, taking into account the conditions in which Ukraine's health care and child support systems operate today.

Butterflies of Hope 2026 aims to become Ukraine's largest platform, bringing together medical practice, international experience, the social system, and state policy in pediatric palliative care, as well as a unique charitable experience that laid the foundation for the summit.

Photo source: City of Goodness

Partners and participants include the Ukrainian Academy of Pediatric Specialties, Gen Ukraine, the Heart Institute of Ukraine's Health Ministry, the Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialized Hospital, the Public Health Center of the Health Ministry, the First Medical Association of Lviv, and the Odesa children's clinic Compass.

The summit will take place directly where the multidisciplinary team of the City of Goodness saves the lives and childhoods of Ukraine's most vulnerable children every day: in the House of Butterflies itself, a place where children live whose lives depend on responsible and competent actions by adults.

Photo source: City of Goodness

The City of Goodness is a nationwide charitable project. It is a unique support complex where up to 400 people can receive shelter and professional help from doctors, lawyers, psychologists, and other specialists simultaneously. The City of Goodness has no equivalent in the world: in one location, across six buildings covering 4,000 square meters, it operates:

The City of Goodness has operated in Chernivtsi since 2016. The center emerged and continues to save hundreds of children and women every day, thanks only to contributions from benefactors. Over this time, more than 10,000 women, children, and rescued animals have found safety there.

At the House of Butterflies, Ukraine's largest children's hospice, the team provides exceptionally attentive care for children on their own who have severe injuries caused by the war, accidents, rare conditions, and chronic diagnoses. The City of Goodness team stays with children every day and around the clock, from evacuations, surgeries, and rehabilitation to making their most cherished dreams come true. Currently, 72 children without parental care are receiving support there.

Support the rescue of children via the link.