Jacinta and her family smiling

What We Do

The world doesn’t need orphanages.

They harm children and they harm society. And shockingly, 8 out of 10 children in orphanages have family members who would care for them – but a broken system hoards money, makes false promises, and keeps children neglected and families exploited.

  • The problem

    Over 5.4 million children are trapped within institutions. Many of these children have families who could look after them, if they had the right support.

  • How we work

    Our goal is to make orphanages history. Find out how we're working with families, local partners and governments, to achieve that goal.

  • Where we work

    We work in countries across Eastern Europe, South and Eastern Africa and South Asia to stop the institutionalisation of children.

  • Campaigns

    Together, we know we can end orphanages for good and keep children with families. Our campaigns will help us achieve this goal.

  • Publications

    Over a hundred years of research proves institutional care is harmful to children, and that family and community care is better for children. We’ve produced and collated a range of publications relating to deinstitutionalisation, child care reform, and specific global regions. Browse our Publications here.