Millions of orphans around the world have no family to love and support them.
million have lost both parents.
8+ million live in orphanages...
That’s more than the population of Washington State!
Millions live in the streets and may or may not have parents.
Children who grow up in an institution have a higher risk of developmental and emotional delays and are more likely to encounter homelessness, crime, and sexual exploitation.
These kids are at high risk.
Over 1 billion children – one out of every two! – experience abuse every year
1.2 million are trafficked annually
In Russia, When children age out of orphanages:
commit suicide
of boys enter a life of crime
of girls fall into prostitution to survive
In India
Right now there are 50,000 children in orphanages that could be registered for adoption but have no one to advocate for them.
The number of adoptions within the country has declined steadily since 2010.
In Romania
A child spends an average of 7.5 years in an orphanage before connecting with a family.
In Ukraine
2,000 orphans graduate from institutional care each year. 23% become homeless.
Only .2% of the world's orphans are ADOPTED into the U.S. each year.
(The U.S. is the highest-ranked country for international adoption)
The global orphan crisis is complex.
Economic strain and poverty and violence towards women and children are a big part of the problem.
Other contributing factors:
No Longer an Orphan
Othniel was given up to an orphanage in India shortly after he was born. He is blind and has a severe case of cerebral palsy, conditions that need special attention that he did not receive at the orphanage.
For two years, Othniel lay alone on his back in a crib, surviving on only bottles of milk. He missed multiple developmental milestones because the orphanage could not provide him the specialized care he needed. At three years old, Othniel could not speak, stand or walk, and eat solid food.
Thankfully, Othniel’s life drastically changed the day a local family adopted him.
Othniel blossomed after leaving the orphanage and receiving care from his new family. While he still had severe intellectual disabilities, he began to speak, calling his father Appa (Dad) and the women of the house DeeDee (sister). He learned to eat solid foods and developed proper sleeping habits.
There is no doubt that Othniel’s best chance of survival is with family, not alone in an orphanage. He will continue to progress developmentally and physically under the individualized attention of a mother and father.