Orphans into loving foster families in China

by Care for Children

Summary

In China, there are an estimated 90,000+ children growing up in government orphanages, the majority of whom have disabilities. This project will help these orphanages to develop family placement programmes, whereby they can move children out of the orphanage and into local foster families where they will be nurtured to reach their full potential.

$137,000
total goal

$24,283
remaining

1,107
donors

2
monthly donors

7
fundraisers

10
years

Challenge

In China, there are an estimated 90,000 children growing up in government orphanages located across the country, although in reality this figure is likely to be significantly higher. A decade ago, China's orphanages were filled with healthy girls, reflecting the one child policy. Now it is estimated that 98% of abandoned children have disabilities. Decades of research shows that orphanages cannot provide the individualised care, love and attention a child needs to develop and thrive.

Solution

Our local team provides training, advice and support in foster care to government orphanages across China. This enables them to establish or maintain family placement programmes, whereby children are moved out of orphanages and into local families. The goal of our training is to ensure staff from each orphanage are fully confident in recruiting and training suitable foster carers from the local community, as well as placing, supporting and monitoring children as they move into families.

Long-Term Impact

This project has the potential to impact 90,000+ orphaned and abandoned children across China, giving them the chance to grow up within local, loving families where they will be nurtured to reach their full potential. "Living in an orphanage is like living in a box - there are so many rules. In a family, there are rules too, but there is also a sense of being free. I've learnt so much from my foster family. They have taught me the skills I need for life." Foster child