Overview
This lecture discusses the harmful impact of orphanages on children in Europe and Central Asia, the causes of institutionalization, and the benefits of shifting to family-based care and support services.
The Harmful Effects of Institutionalization
- Around one million children live in large residential institutions ("orphanages") in Europe and Central Asia.
- Decades of research show that separating children from families harms their health and development, especially in babies.
- Early brain development depends on stimulation and attachment with caregivers, which is lacking in institutions.
- Institutionalized children often become listless, lethargic, and show little response due to lack of attention.
- Staff are often overburdened, causing care to be rushed and regimented, with little individual attention to children.
- Lack of stimulation leads to self-harming or disruptive behaviors, which may be managed with drugs or restraints.
- Children are frequently moved between institutions, separated from siblings and peers, and often face hunger and bullying.
- Upon leaving institutions, many struggle to integrate into society and are at higher risk for crime, exploitation, and suicide.
Causes of Institutionalization
- Most so-called orphans have living parents; over 95% are not true orphans.
- Main drivers are poverty, disability, and ethnicity, not parental abandonment.
- Lack of inclusive education pushes even mildly disabled children into institutions, far from families.
- Families often feel forced to institutionalize children due to financial hardship or lack of community support.
- Social stigma, lack of information, and pressure from professionals contribute to the abandonment of children with disabilities.
Alternatives and Solutions
- Family-based care and support services allow children to recover and thrive, even after institutionalization.
- Supporting families is significantly cheaper than running institutions (as low as 10% the cost).
- Transitioning resources from institutions to community and family support gives better outcomes for children.
- Many European countries have reduced institutional populations and developed inclusive schools and family services.
- Major donors are redirecting funding from institutions to family support services.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Institutionalization — Placing children in large residential facilities, separated from families.
- Stimulation — Experiences that promote children's sensory, cognitive, and social development.
- Attachment — Emotional bond between child and caregiver, essential for healthy development.
- Inclusive schools — Schools that accept and support children with disabilities alongside their peers.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Advocate for awareness about the harms of institutionalization and promote family-based alternatives.
- Encourage donors to support family and community services rather than orphanages.
- Review national action plans and policies aimed at ending institutionalization of children.