The Stories

Orphans no more - Jessica’s story

There are an estimated 100 million orphans worldwide. Are orphanages the answer?

Jessica was abandoned by her parents when she was a few weeks old. She was left to die on a rubbish dump but fortunately she was found by the staff of a nearby Christian orphanage.

I met Jessica in the orphanage when she was four years old. She didn’t smile at me or grab my arm like the other children. She sat silent and alone, avoiding any contact with people. The staff didn’t know what to do or how to help her.

A few months later Jessica was fostered by a young Christian couple who were friends of mine. I wondered how the couple would cope looking after a child who seemed so emotionally disturbed and developmentally delayed. It would be an enormous challenge for these new parents.

That Christmas I called to visit Jessica and her foster parents to see how they were getting on. As they welcomed me in a smiling girl rush up the hallway and hug my legs. It was Jessica. I couldn’t believe it. In the space of three months she had completely transformed from a withdrawn, disturbed child into a vibrant young girl.

‘God places the lonely in families’ Psalm 68: 6

There are more than 100 million orphans worldwide and the number is growing rapidly, due in large part to AIDS. The streets of Phnom Penh in Cambodia are thronged with children begging and scavenging to survive. There has been a massive rise in the number of orphanages as many Christians and others seek to help these children. But are orphanages the answer?

In Ireland, the residential home or ‘orphanage’ model has had disastrous consequences for children. Revelations of widespread sexual abuse in religious industrial schools and residential homes across Ireland have shocked us. These awful incidents happened in a developed country which has a social protection system and child protection laws. As a result developed countries have almost completely moved away from placing children in orphanages.

In developing countries orphans are potentially much more vulnerable. A report by the charity Save the Children (2008) found widespread exploitation and abuse of children within orphanages in developing countries. Of course these are worst-case scenarios.

Many orphanages, like the one Jessica was in, are extremely well run and have a team of loving staff. For many children they have meant an escape from the streets and a life of hope and opportunity. However even the best orphanage cannot replace the individual love and care that children need from a family-environment n my experience they are a second-best alternative to family.

The challenges of orphanages

Recent studies have shown that children can develop physical and psychological abnormalities arising from institutionalization in orphanages and children’s homes. These include physical and brain growth deficiencies, cognitive problems, speech and language delays, sensory integration difficulties, social and behavioural abnormalities, difficulties with inattention/hyperactivity, disturbances of attachment, and a syndrome that mimics autism.

In addition to this, given the sheer scale of the problem orphanages are not economically sustainable. UN studies have shown that the cost of supporting a child in residential care is about twelve times the cost of support in a community based care program like fostering. Since orphan numbers continue to grow rapidly and outstrip available resources, residential care is not considered a viable option for caring for the majority of orphans in the developing world.

So what is the answer? Is there a better alternative to orphanages?

I believe there is. Tearfund works with its partners worldwide to place children in local foster families where they receive the individual love and care that they need.

In Cambodia our church partner Little Conqueror’s has been able to rescue hundreds of children from the streets of Phnom Penh. Many of the local foster families are extremely poor themselves but by providing a low level of support, such as school fees, they are able to care for an additional child. Little Conqueror’s care workers conduct regular family visits to ensure the welfare of the child. These children can grow up in safe and happy environment, in a loving family.

Jessica is now eleven years old. Her memories of life in the orphanage are distant. She smiles with joy as she walks hand in hand with her parents.

It’s an incredible example of the local church in action, of Christian’s welcoming vulnerable children into their home. With 100 million children worldwide in need of a family it is going to take all of us working together to bring lasting transformation.

Please give today to Tearfund’s work with forgotten children

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