*Still Under Review
Private philanthropic support for vulnerable or orphaned children often has a strong focus on the funding of orphanages. Despite powerful evidence of the negative impact of orphanage care, private donors continue to provide large amounts of funding to orphanages through donations, volunteer tourism, mission trips and other forms of fundraising – adding to the pull factors drawing more vulnerable children into institutional care and away from family or community care.
1 Why Funding for Orphanages is Harming the Children it Aims to Help
This orphanage business – where
orphanages are established and
recruit children to raise donations
from foreigners – is increasingly
recognized globally as a form of
trafficking.
– Lumos Foundation
“ According to Government of Nepal, out of 11.6 million Nepali children, almost 16,000 children live in 585 registered orphanages located largely in cities and popular tourist destinations. Ninety-eight percent of child-related projects receive private funding solely from outside of Nepal. Ninety percent of the orphanages received fundraising support from external partners only, mainly in Germany, the United States and United Kingdom. Studies have consistently shown that orphanage care often exposes children to serious harm, neglect and abuse, can seriously impact a child’s physical and psychological development, and is often much more expensive than family or community-based care.
Ì Many people still believe that orphanages are necessary and provide adequate
care for children
Ì Donations give orphanage owners financial incentives to stay open and to find
new residents
Ì Local systems are slow to change in response to new studies on the harm of
institutions
Read more and check out their informative infographic here:
