Orphanages

{{SocPsy} An orphanage (historically an orphan's asylum before the latter word took on its modern insane asylum connotation) is an institution dedicated to caring for orphans (children who have lost their parents) and abused, abandoned, and neglected children. Largely seen as an inferior alternative to foster care and adoption, orphanages may be privately or publicly funded, and many are run by religious organizations.

History
The first orphanages, called "orphanotrophia," were founded in the 1st century amid various alternative means of orphan support. (Jewish law, for instance, prescribed care for the widow and orphan, and Athenian law supported all orphans of those killed in military service until the age of eighteen.) The care of orphans was particularly commended to bishops and, during the Middle Ages, to monasteries. Many orphanages practiced some form of "binding-out" in which children, as soon as they were old enough, were given as apprentices to households. This would ensure their support and their learning an occupation.

Historically, certain birth parents were often pressured or forced to give up their children to orphanages: those of children born out of wedlock or into poor families; those with disabilities or of children born with disabilities; and those with girls born into patriarchial societies. Such practices are assumed to be quite rare in the modern Western world, thanks to improved social security and changed social attitudes, but remain in force in many other countries.

Since the 1950s, after a series of scandals involving the coercion of birth parents and abuse of orphans (notably at Georgia Tann's Tennessee Children's Home Society), the United States and other countries have moved to deinstitutionalize the care of vulnerable children—that is, close down orphanages in favor of foster care and accelerated adoption. Moreover, as it is no longer common for birth parents in Western countries to give up their children, and as far fewer people die of diseases or violence while their children are still young, the need to operate large orphanages has decreased. These factors have also resulted in a dramatic reduction of local orphans available for adoption in first-world countries, necessitating journeys by many would-be adoptive parents to orphanages in the Third World.

Current usage
Today, the orphanage remains common and necessary in most parts of the world, even if the term has given way to such softer language as "group home," "children's home," or "rehabilitation center." They are not common in the European community, and Romania in particular has struggled to reduce the visibility of its children's institutions to meet conditions of its entry into the European Union. In the United States, the largest remaining orphanage is the Bethesda Orphanage, founded in 1740 by George Whitefield. Another famous American orphanage is Girls and Boys Town, located outside Omaha, Nebraska.

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Number of Orphan Children - Statistics
Afghanistan (Kabul only) -Total – 1200 orphans live in orphanages “At Kabul's two main orphanages, Alauddin and Tahia Maskan, the number of children enrolled has increased almost 80 percent since last January, from 700 to over 1,200 children. Almost half of these come from families who have at least one parent, but who can't support their children. ”Read “Poverty Forces Kabul Parents to Send Kid’s to Orphanages,” by Scott Baldauf. Christian Science Monitor (6/3/2002) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Azerbaijan No official number “Many children are abandoned due to extreme poverty and harsh living conditions. Family members or neighbors may raise some of these children but the majority live in crowded orphanages until the age of fifteen when they are sent into the community to make a living for themselves.” Read “Azerbaijan Adoptions.” source: www.MyOrphanage.org Bangladesh Partial information: “There are no statistics regarding the actual number of children in welfare institutions in Bangladesh. The Department of Social Services, under the Ministry of Social Welfare, has a major programme named Child Welfare and Child Development in order to provide access to food, shelter, basic education, health services and other basic opportunities for hapless children.” (The following numbers mention “capacity” only….not actual numbers of orphans at present) 9,500 -State institutions 250 -babies in 3 available “Baby Homes” 400 -Destitute Children's Rehabilitation Centre 100 -Vocational Training Centre for Orphans and Destitute Children 1,400 -Sixty-five Welfare and Rehabilitation Programmes for Children with Disability source “The private welfare institutions are mostly known as orphanages and madrassahs. The authorities of most of these orphanages put more emphasise on religion and religious studies.” One example follows: 400 – Approximately - Nawab Sir Salimullah Muslim Orphanage source: www.MyOrphanage.org Read “Women and Children in Disadvantaged Situations.” Odhikar. (4/2001) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Belarus Approximate total – 1,773 (1993 statistics for “all types of orphanages) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Read “United Nations Human Development Report – Belarus 1996) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Bulgaria 2% of  children “With two percent of all Bulgarian children in orphanages the country has one of the highest orphan rates in Europe.” Read “Bulgarian Orphan Crisis.” Mission Without Borders. (3/31/2002) source: www.MyOrphanage.org   Cambodia "In the past three years the number of orphanages in Cambodia for which WORLD ORPHANS has funded construction for is 47, housing over 1,500 children. Most are orphaned due to their parents dying from AIDS and some from being blown up by land mines." (published in the end of 2002) broken source: www.MyOrphanage.orglink Total number unknown: “There are no accurate figures available on how many orphans there are in Cambodia..” Read “Adoptions Like “Selling Goods,” by Bill Bainbridge and Lon Nara. Adoption News. (12/1/2001) source: www.MyOrphanage.org China Estimated total in 2002 – 50,000 “Currently there are 50,000 children in Chinese orphanages, while the number of abandoned children shows no sign of slowing.” Read “China: Children.” China World News (12/31/2002) source. Estimated total in 1996 – fewer than 20,000 “Official figures show that fewer than 20,000 of China's orphans are now in any form of institutional care.” Read “Human Rights Watch Condemns Fatal Neglect in China’s Orphanages.” Human Rights Watch Press Release. (1/7/1996) broken source: www.MyOrphanage.orglink “Chinese official records fail to account for most of the country’s abandoned infants and children, only a small proportion of whom are in any form of acknowledged state care. The most recent figure provided by the government for the country’s orphan population, 100,000 seems implausibly low for a country with a total population of 1.2 billion. Even if it were accurate, however, the whereabouts of the great majority of China’s orphans would still be a complete mystery, leaving crucial questions about the country’s child welfare system unanswered and suggesting that the real scope of the catastrophe that has befallen China’s unwanted children may be far larger than the evidence in this report documents.” Read “Death by Default: A Policy of Fatal Neglect in China’s State Orphanages.” Human Rights Watch. (January 1996) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Egypt Partial information: 120 - Mosques of Charity “The orphanage houses about 120 children in Giza, Menoufiya and Qalyubiya..”. 192 - The Awladi 200+ - Dar Al-Iwaa “We provide free education and accommodation for over 200 girls and boys.”. 44 - Dar Al-Mu'assassa Al-Iwaa'iya “Dar Al-Mu'assassa Al-Iwaa'iya (Shelter Association), a government association affiliated with the Ministry of Social Affairs, was established in 1992. It houses about 44 children.” 30 - Sayeda Zeinab orphanage 300 - My Children Orphanage The above information was taken from the following articles: “Other families,” by Amany Abdel-Moneim. Al-Ahram Weekly (5/1999) at: broken source: www.MyOrphanage.orglink “Ramadan brings charity to Egypt's orphans.” Shanghai Star 12/13/2001 broken source: www.MyOrphanage.orglink “A Child by Any Other Name,” by Réhab El-Bakry. Egypt Today (11/2002) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Estonia Total – 1,099 (1998) “In 1998, there were a total of 1,101 places and 1,099 wards in the orphanages across Estonia. The number of wards in orphanages has remained stabile over the years (e.g. in 1993, there were 1,098 children in orphanages). This can be partly explained by the lack of orphanages for street children who have different lifestyles and habits that are threatening to health and life.” Read “Children in Estonia: The Child in Alternative Care,” by Sirje Grossmann-Loot. United Nations in Estonia (2000) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Ethiopia Total - 160 (2000) “For example, in the Jerusalem Association Children's Home (JACH), only 160 children remain of the 785 who were in JACH's three orphanages.” /  “Attitudes regarding the institutional care of children have shifted dramatically in recent years in Ethiopia. There appears to be general recognition by MOLSA and the NGOs with which Pact is working that such care is, at best, a last resort, and that serious problems arise with the social reintegration of children who grow up in institutions, and deinstitutionalization through family reunification and independent living are being emphasized.” Read “Assessment of the Street Children and Orphans Component of the Pact NGO Sector Enhancement Initiative in Ethiopia.” Displaced Children and Orphan’s Fund and Patrick J. Leahy War Victim’s Fund.” USAID (March 2000) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Guatemala Approximately 20,000 (2000) “…currently there are about 20,000 children in orphanages..” Read “The Children of Guatemala.” BBC World Service source: www.MyOrphanage.org Hungary Approximately 22,000 (1998) “More than 22,000 orphaned and abandoned children are in state custody in Hungary.” Read “Abandoned Children and Infants,” by by Justin D. Long. Monday Morning Reality Check source: www.MyOrphanage.org Haiti Partial and conflicting information: 200,000+ (estimated) children waiting for institutional orphan care  “Children in Institutions: Haitians and expatriate childcare professionals are careful to make it clear that Haitian orphanages and children’s homes are not orphanages in the North American sense, but instead shelters for vulnerable children, often housing children whose parent (s) are poor as well as those who are abandoned, neglected or abused by family guardians. Neither the number of children or the number of institutions is officially known, but Chambre de L’Enfance Necessiteusse Ha_tienne (CENH) indicated that is has received requests for assistance from nearly 200 orphanages from around the country for more than 200,000 children. Although not all are orphans, many are vulnerable or originate in vulnerable families that hoped to increase their children’s opportunities by sending them to orphanages.” / “The CENH figures seem high when compared to Schwarz’s 1999 count of five rural and three urban orphanages in the Northwest Province and northern Artibonite, with a total of 376 children. Catholic Relief Services provides assistance to 120 orphanages with 9,000 children in the West, South, Southeast and Grand Anse, but these include only orphanages that meet their criteria. They estimate receiving ten requests per week for assistance from additional orphanages and children’s homes, but some of these are repeat requests.” Read “The Situations of Orphans in Haiti: A summary assessment.” USAID, FHI and the IMPACT Project source: www.MyOrphanage.org (page 14 and 15 of actual report (not web page counter) India State of Andhra Pradish -Children’s Homes – 5,050 : 6 – 18 years of age Refer to “Children’s Homes.” Government of Andrha Pradish source: www.MyOrphanage.org Indonesia No information for the number of children actually in orphanages. The Report, “Convention on the Rights of the Child – First Periodic. Report Indonesia. 1993-June 2000 source: www.MyOrphanage.orgdoes list the number of orphaned children at 91,000+, but this number includes all abandoned children, such as street children, etc. Iraq Total in 1990 –1,190 :UNICEF maintains the same number at present. “While the number of state homes for orphans in the whole of Iraq was 25 in 1990 (serving 1,190 children); both the number of homes and the number of beneficiaries has declined. The quality of services has also declined.” “A 1999 study by UNICEF “recommended the rebuilding of national capacity for the rehabilitation of orphans.” The new project “will benefit all the 1,190 children placed in orphanages.” Read “Assistance to Orphans.” Child Protection. UNICEF source: www.MyOrphanage.org Kenya A 1999 survey of 35,000 orphans found the following number in institutional care: 64 -registered institutions; 164 -unregistered institutions .Read “Orphans and Vulnerable Children,” by Marito Garcia. African Region. The World Bank (12/3/2001) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Kyrgyzstan Partial information: 85 – Ivanovka Orphanage Read “Tokmak and Area Children’s Work” source: www.MyOrphanage.org Latvia While information is available for orphaned children, there are no specific numbers for those orphans placed in orphanages. “The analysis of the reason why a child is in an institution shows that the proportion of the number of orphans in the children’s social care institutions was only 5.6% although the dynamic pointed to an increasing number of orphans.” See Figure 4.2. Read “Poverty and Welfare Trends in Latvia over the 1990’s.” Background Paper Prepared for the Social Monitor (2002) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Laos Estimated total – 1000 (1990’s) “It is stated that there are 20,000 orphaned children in Laos. There are only three orphanages in the whole country providing places for a total of 1,000 of these children.” No Title. by Anneli Dahlbom source: www.MyOrphanage.org Lithuania Total 241 – (1994 statistics for 32 foster homes) (300 more children are documented to live in “children’s villages.) “Positive changes in the situation of foster children can be seen. In 1995, the International Children's Rights Convention was ratified and NGOs became more active in this field. There are about 40 organizations and foundations that shelter children: the Lithuanian Children's Fund, `Viltis', the `SOS Children's homes, and the assistance foundation `Vaiko tëviðkes namai'. “At present, there are 30 affiliates of `SOS Children', and 10 children's villages have been created, in which 300 children live. In each house in each village, there are 5 -7 children living along with their guardian, or `mother'. Children aged eight or over are taken into these villages, and stay until they are 18.” Read “Chapter 11: Families, Women and Children.” United Nations Development Program (1996) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Mexico Approximately 10,000+ (1999) “…at least 10,000 Mexican children live in orphanages and more in unregistered charity homes” Read “Central/South America.” Migration News. (August 1999) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Republic of Moldova Approximate total – 2000 in orphanages 279 in orphanages “of the family type.”  Read “International Organization “Save the Children” (Moldova) Information Cards source: www.MyOrphanage.org Palestinian Territory (of Israel) Total – 1,714 (1999) “In 1999, the number of children living in orphanages witnessed a considerable drop as compared to 1998. This number dropped from 1,980 to 1,714 orphans. This is due to the policy of child re-integration in their household adopted by the Ministry of Social Affairs.” Read “The Fourth Annual Statistical Report, 2001 – Palestinian Children, Issues and Statistics Executive Summary.” Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. (2001) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Poland Approximately 80,000 “In Poland today there are 350 orphanages-the highest number in Central Europe- including about 100 smaller orphanages run by families. They are home to about 80,000 children.” Read “Our Guy Friday,” by Beata B³aszczyk. The Warsaw Voice. (9/1/2002) source: www.MyOrphanage.org  Romania 2003 Updated: In Romania are around 5,600,000 children with ages between 0-18, approximately 1.5% of them are under the Public Specialized Services for Children’s Protection. Number of children by group of ages in orphanages –July 2003: In public orphanages: 31,908, in private orphanages: 5,583, Total: 37,491. In public orphanages: 794 children are under 1yr old, between 1-2yrs old are 1,078; between 3-6yrs old are 1,848; between 7-9yrs old are 2,776; 7,716 children are between 10-13yrs old, between 14-17yrs old are 12,923 children and between 18-26yrs old are 4,773 children. Total children living in public orphanages: 31,908. In private orphanages: 151 children are under 1yr old, 422 children are between 1-2yrs old, 887 children are between 3-6yrs old, 907 children are between 7-9yrs old, 1465 children are between 10-13yrs old, 1471 children are between 14-17yrs old and 280 "children" are between 18-26 yrs old. The Total children living in private orphanages: 5,583. source: www.MyOrphanage.orgfor all above Romanian statistics: National Authority for Children Protection and Adoption of the Romanian Government, see Report section. -In Romania are 49484 institutionalized children in 940 orphanages, these statistics are related by Romanian National Institute of Statistics. Extra statistics: More than half of all institutionalized children are boys (55,2%). Around 1/3 of all institutionalized children are under 11 years old, the rest of are younger between the ages 12-17. The same Institute relating that about 1/2 of institutionalized children are not visited by parents or relatives, every once at 6 months. 22,6% of institutionalized children are orphans. In the counties Suceava and Vaslui lives most many institutionalized children. Source: The Romanian National Institute of Statistics (2002) Conflicting numbers from different sources: 125,000+ (2002) “The number of children in Romanian orphanages has continued to increase since the end of Ceaucescu's tyranny. At the time of Ceaucescu's death in 1989 there were 85,000 children in orphanages. In 1993 that number had risen to 98,000. Today in 2002 that number is over 125,000.” Read “New Opportunities for Romanian Orphaned Children.” source: www.MyOrphanage.orgor: 60,000 (2002) “Although the situation is improving, more than 60,000 children still live in state orphanages, while some 30,000 have been placed with foster parents.” Read “Romanian Adoption Issue May Cloud Nato Plans,” by Eugen Tomiuc. Adoption News (4/15/2002) at: source Russia "Approximate total 700,000 (2003) There are some 700,000 children and teenagers living in state institutions, according to Russia's Health Ministry. Some 15,000 young people graduate from the state-run orphanages every year. And at least 40 percent of these graduates eventually end up in prisons, while one tenth of them commit suicide." Source: according to Russia' Health Ministry, 2003, There are many web pages of Russian orphanages, but none of them are in English. If I found one in English I'll publish the link. Approximately total - 200,000 (1998) “Of a total of more than 600,000 children classified as being “without parental care,” as many as one-third reside in institutions.” Read “Cruelty and Neglect in Russian Orphanages.” Human Rights Watch. (December 1998) source Read “Kremlin Voices Concern Over Homeless Kids.”by Sergei Blagovhttp source: www.MyOrphanage.org Rwanda Total – 5000 Out of 400,000 orphans, 5,000 are living in orphanages. Read “Social Protection of Africa’s Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children.” African Region Human Development Working Series Paper source: www.MyOrphanage.org Slovakia Total – approximately 2,500 (2002) “Slovak orphanages house about 2,500 children aged 3-18 in 56 orphanages in Slovakia. Ten percent of these children are in the process of being adopted. Forty percent have guardians who are not their parents, and remaining forty percent were placed in orphanages for legal institutional care. Due to the small number of children who are "legally free for adoption," coupled with restrictive Slovak legislation, no Slovak children have been adopted by foreigners until very recently.” “Slovak orphanages for children up to age 3 are administered by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic; orphanages for children of ages 3-18 by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Slovak Republic.” Read “International Adoption: Slovak Republic.” US Department of State (April 2002) source: www.MyOrphanage.org South Korea Approximate total – 17,000 (1999) “There are now 17,000 children in public orphanages throughout the country and untold numbers at private institutions.” Read “South Korea Tries to Take Care of its Own with Domestic Adoptions.” LA Times (3/6/1999) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Taiwan Total –638 (2001)  “On the other hand, the number of orphanages and orphans drastically dropped from 15 institutions and 2,216 persons in 1971 to 9 institutions and 638 persons by the end of 2001. Read “Social Welfare” source: www.MyOrphanage.org Tajikistan Approximate total – 9,000 (1997) “No one can be sure how many lone children are there in the republic. About 9,000 are in internats and in orphanages.” Read “Children and the Society,” by Natalia Bruker, Irada Guseinova. Asia Plus (1997) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Tanzania Approximate total – 3000 “Currently, there are 52 orphanages in Tanzania caring for about 3,000 orphans and vulnerable children.” Read “A Program on Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Aids affected areas in Tanzania.” Axios International source: www.MyOrphanage.org Uganda Total – 1,300 -Out of 1,700,000 orphaned children, only 1,300 children live in orphanages. Read “Social Protection of Africa’s Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children.” African Region Human Development Working Series Paper source: www.MyOrphanage.org Ukraine Partial information: 150 – Kiev State Baby Orphanage -Read “Kiev’s Children’s Work” source 30 – Beregena Orphanage 120 – Dom Invalid Orphanage Read “Dnepropetrovsk Orphanages and Children’s Work” source: www.MyOrphanage.org United States Partial information: 75,890 – (1993 statistics for Catholic orphanages) Read “Accomplishments of the Catholic Church in 2,000 Years.” (2002) source Approximately 30,000 – group homes (1995) Traditional “orphanages” have largely been replaced by group homes -Read “The orphanage: is it time to bring it back?” Current Events. Weekly Reader 1/23/1995) (offline source) Uzbekistan Partial Information: 80 – Takhtakupar Orphanage -Read “Takhatkupar Orphanage” source: www.MyOrphanage.org Zambia A 1996 national survey of orphans revealed no evidence of orphanage care. The breakdown of care was as follows: For double orphans: 38% grandparents 55% extended family 1% older orphan 6% non-relative Read “Orphans and Vulnerable Children,” by Marito Garcia. African Region. The World Bank (12/3/2001) source: www.MyOrphanage.org Zimbabwe Total number unknown:  “Statistics on the total number of children in orphanages nation-wide are unavailable, but care givers say their facilities were becoming unmanageably overwhelmed almost on a daily basis.” “There are 38 privately run children's charity homes, or orphanages in the country, and the government operates eight of its own.” “ Zimbabwe's orphanages are over- spilling, and care givers say they are failing to cope with the rising numbers of children coming to their charity homes.” Read “Charity Homes Worry About Rising Number of Orphans,” by Rangarirai Shoko. Pan African News Agency. (2/26/2001) source “Between 1994 and 1998, the number of orphans in Zimbabwe more than doubled from 200,000 to 543,000, and in five years the number is expected to reach 900,000.” (Unfortunately, there is no room for these children.) -Read “Zimbabwe: Aids Death Toll Yielding More Orphans.” Kaiser Daily. (9/11/2000) source: www.MyOrphanage.org
 * Note: There are about 185 orphanages in Egypt.