Orphanage

An orphanage is a residential institution designed to care for children who cannot live with their biological families. These children may be orphans whose parents have died, or they may be children whose parents are absent, abusive, or unable to provide care due to mental illness or substance abuse. Such institutions are sometimes called total institutions or group homes. They provide a place for housing, food, and supervision for those without a stable home.

The mechanism of an orphanage involves providing congregate care. This term refers to many people living together in one large facility. In these settings, staff members manage the daily needs of the children, such as meals and clothing. Historically, these institutions often transitioned children into adulthood through apprenticeships. This meant older children were sent to live with other households to learn a specific trade or occupation. This process helped them prepare for independent life once they reached a certain age.

Orphanages have existed in various forms throughout history. The Romans established some of the first organized orphanages around 400 AD. In ancient Athens, the law supported orphans of soldiers until they turned eighteen. During the Middle Ages in Europe, the responsibility for orphans usually fell to the Church. Bishops and monasteries managed the care of these children. In England, the Elizabethan Poor Laws eventually shifted some responsibility to local parishes.

In the 18th century, a new type of charitable institution emerged called a foundling hospital. In 1741, Thomas Coram founded the Foundling Hospital in London to educate and maintain deserted children.

Initially, parents would leave a distinguishing token with their child for identification. The children were often sent to wet nurses in the countryside for several years. By 1756, the British House of Commons decided that all children offered should be received. However, the hospital eventually stopped accepting money for admission in 1801 to ensure it remained a charitable service.

The 19th century brought significant changes and challenges to child welfare. In urban areas like London, the number of abandoned children grew rapidly. The workhouse system was established in 1834 to house vulnerable people, including orphans. However, the conditions in these workhouses were often brutal and difficult.

This led to the birth of the orphanage movement. Philanthropists like Thomas John Barnardo worked to improve these conditions. Barnardo opened his first home in 1870 and established 112 district homes by 1905. He used a system where younger children were boarded out to rural districts, while older children received industrial or trade training.

In the United States, orphanages became more common between 1830 and 1860. This growth was driven by immigration, urban poverty, and health crises like cholera. The Charleston Orphan House, founded in 1790, was the first public orphanage in the country.

Many other institutions were founded by religious or private groups. For example, the Orphan Asylum Society was co-founded by Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in 1806. By 1910, a census showed that more than 1,000 orphanages housed about two-thirds of all children living outside of family homes. This represented roughly 3% of the total national population of children under fifteen.

Modern history has seen a major shift known as deinstitutionalization. This is the process of closing large orphanages in favor of foster care or adoption. Research shows that children need secure attachment to caregivers for healthy development. Studies of children raised in Romanian institutions showed high rates of disorganized attachment. This was partly due to government policies under Nicolae Ceaușescu that forced high birth rates.

Today, most developed countries focus on supporting the family unit. Instead of large institutions, governments and charities now prioritize keeping children within their own communities or in foster homes.