SAY NO TO ORPHANAGES
Orphanage care is harmful to children and orphanage volunteering increases this harm. Children belong in families where they can get the love and attention they need.
Support our Put Children First Campaign so that more children can grow up in a family. Make an individual pledge that you won’t support orphanage volunteering or visits. Eendorse our policy asks to support global care reform as an organisation, university, college or other body.
The Institutionalisation of Children: The Global Problem
Children have a right to grow up with a family that cares for them. Yet…
An estimated 5.4 million children live in institutions worldwide, primarily because of poverty, lack of access to health and education services, and discrimination.
%
More than 80% of children living in orphanages have at least one living parent. They have extended family members and communities that could care for them, given the right support.
Children with disabilities are 17 times more likely to live in orphanages than their peers.
Orphanage care is 600% more expensive than supporting families or family-based alternative care.
Why Institutional Care is Harmful for Children
Research has shown that orphanage care is harmful to children, resulting in significant delays in physical growth and brain development, causing social and emotional difficulties, and exposing children to neglect and abuse.
There is also increasing evidence of the links between institutions and trafficking. Reports have shown that many children do not get the promised education or healthcare and typically gain lower levels of literacy and numeracy and fewer educational attainments than their peers.
Why Orphanage Volunteering is Harmful for Children
Reports highlight that the regular turnover of volunteers and visitors to orphanages is harmful to children’s development and wellbeing and increases their exposure to abuse and exploitation.
Orphanage volunteering, visiting and overseas donations can also sustain the ‘orphanage industry’ with institutions being set up to meet the demand from well-meaning travellers and donors. There are increasing instances of children being trafficked to populate profit making institutions.
Even well run and resourced orphanages with staff that care about the children cannot replace the love and stability of family-based care.
Children Belong in Families
PETER K. MUTHUI, Care Leaver and Director of Child in Family Focus Kenya talks about how children need one on one care and attention and trusting relationships, and how only a family can provide this. He shares his lived experience and speaks on why children belong in families at the “Beyond Institutional Care: Rethinking How We Care for Vulnerable Children” conference.
Ending Orphanage Volunteering: Why Care Experts With Lived Experience Are Calling for Change
SINET CHAN, Ambassador for Cambodian Children’s Trust, talks about the neglect and abuse that she experienced growing up in an orphanage; and how orphanage volunteering contributed to feelings of abandonment and to exploitation.
Children Belong in Families
KATHARINA THON, Programme and Capacity Building Officer at the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking of Human Beings, shares her research on orphanage tourism as part of Comhlámh’s Global Care Reform – Orphanages, Volunteering, and Trafficking webinar (click the link to watch the full webinar).
VIDEO:
The Global Care Reform Movement & Recommendations to End Orphanage Volunteering
Learn why there is now a growing global movement working to keep families together and to gradually close down orphanages, replacing them with family support services and alternatives such as foster and kinship care when necessary.
This world-wide movement includes UN bodies, governments, NGO’s, child protection specialists and care experts with lived experience.
Take Action
As an Individual…
You can sign our pledge that you will neither promote nor engage in volunteering and/or visits to institutions for children and to further educate yourself around the harm caused by orphanage volunteering and institutions.
As an Organisation…
You can endorse our key policy recommendations to support the global care reform movement. For further information and to endorse please contact Fiachra at fiachra@comhlamh.org
More Steps You Can Take
Share the Pledge on Social Media
Educate Yourself Further
Explore Global Campaigns
Explore global campaigns on the issue of orphanage care and volunteering
1. Love You Give
2. Helping Not Helping
3. Rethink Orphanages
Follow the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Travel Advice
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs travel advice states:
“While in some countries it may be possible to volunteer in or visit orphanages, this can have serious consequences for children. Growing evidence demonstrates the links between institutions and trafficking, with volunteer visits helping to sustain an ‘orphanage industry’, increasing the risk of exposure to abuse and exploitation.”
In the Media
- Irish Examiner: Aid body warns against school visits to overseas orphanages
- RTE: Call to end volunteering in orphanages worldwide
- RTE Radio One – News at One: Call to end volunteering in orphanages worldwide
- Irish Times Photo of The Day
- Galway Bay FM, Galway Talks with Keith Finnegan: Call to end volunteering in orphanages worldwide
- Near FM: Growing calls to end orphanages and orphanage volunteering
- Flirt FM: End Orphanage Care interview
- C103: Cork Today with Patricia Messinger
Want to Dig Deeper?
Become a member
Join the growing Comhlámh community of like-minded people interested in activism.
Join our groups
Join us as a Member and get involved in one of our groups active on global and social justice issues.
Watch #FIRSTWEDS
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