Institutionalised Children
In many countries there are thousands of children living in orphanages for reasons including; abandonment, death, neglect, poverty, or simply being born with some medical condition. Many nations struggle to care for these children and appreciate help. Such help can take many forms; orphanage aid programmes, family reunification programmes, and adoption, both within the child's country and inter-country.
Life in an institution is not conducive to healthy development for a child. American studies show that for every three to four months a child lives in an orphanage, their development is delayed by one month. No matter how well resourced the orphanage is, institutionalised life can never replace the personal care of a loving family.
ICANZ works to find families for some of these children living in orphanages around the world.
Articles of Interest
'Adopting an Institutionalized Child: What are the Risks?'Dana Johnson, 2007
Click here to read an excerpt from this helpful report, with a link to the full article.
Discover how the Hague Convention protects children, birth parents and adoptive parents in an intercountry adoption
Read this inspiring story of an older child's adoption
Read this story about institutionalised children who are now living in adoptive family homes.