Why do children end up in orphanages?

Children end up in orphanages primarily because of poverty, disability, discrimination and a lack of family support services and not because they have no family.

The most common drivers include:

Poverty – families unable to meet basic needs are told that an orphanage will feed, clothe and educate their child. The alternative — direct support to the family — is rarely offered. Orphanages can cost nearly ten times as much as keeping a child safely at home, but that funding flows to institutions rather than families.

Disability – children with disabilities are up to 17 times more likely to enter orphanages than their peers without disabilities, rising to up to 30 times in Europe and Central Asia. Around 1 in 3 children in orphanages has a disability. This is not because orphanages meet their needs better — it is because families are denied the community support that would allow them to stay at home.

Discrimination – children from marginalised ethnic groups, families affected by HIV/AIDS, or households facing social stigma are at significantly higher risk of separation and placement in orphanages.

Conflict and humanitarian crisis – displacement, loss of income and the collapse of services push families into crisis. Without adequate support, children are separated and funnelled into orphanages.

The pull effect – the mere existence of orphanages creates demand. They offer authorities and professionals an easy solution for children in crisis, which removes pressure to invest in the family support services that would prevent separation. In some countries, more than 50% of orphanages have been found to be actively recruiting children from families.