Recently a study was published and the results were as expected. Children do better in foster care environments compared to orphanages.

[Dr Dana Johnson and colleagues] did the first scientific comparison of what happens to children raised in orphanages versus those raised in foster care and children raised in normal families.

from: Orphanages stunt growth, foster care better-study

This study took place in Romania. It compared 69 children in foster homes to 67 children in an orphanage to a control group of children that remained with their family. A child in foster care had better physical and mental abilities then a child in the orphanage. Depression was mentioned as having a role in the smaller size of the children within the orphanage.


This was no surprise.........


In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II
conducted an experiment on some babies. He wanted to know what language children would learn if they had no example to follow. So he removed around 50 babies from their mother and placed them with caretakers. These caretakers didn't speak to the infants. The babies were provided with food and shelter but that was about it. All the babies died.


Being touched, spoken to and one-to-one interaction is very important to a child's health. And Ukraine has recognized that orphanages aren't the healthiest environments. Children in an orphanage environment can experience PTSD, trapped between flight and fight.


It looks like Ukraine is trying to move away from an orphanage system and more toward group homes as they are known in the United States. A couple of adults living in a home environment with 10 to 12 children.


Also Ukraine started a foster care system a couple of years ago. Here is a news story on some exploration that the Ukrainian government did. However the majority of the children within state care continue to live in orphanages.

According to statistic researches, there are [more] than 100,000 orphans and homeless children in Ukraine. "...................There are 40% of families having two children and 64% ones having three children living below the poverty line. Every year 6-7 thousands of parents debar from [lose their] the parental rights. More than 2,000 mothers abandon their babies in maternity hospitals," said Viktor Yushchenko.


from Love and care for children in Ukraine

In November 2005, Ukrainian President Yushchenko

criticized executive institutions for failing to implement child policy. He believes state officials particularly neglect teenage orphans and homeless children


From: President criticized child policy

President Yushchenko pointed out that only

only eight family-type children’s homes have been established since then [between July 2005 and November 2005]. Only 28 [Ukrainian] families have adopted children


From: President criticized child policy

Hopefully Ukraine will make more progress in moving their children out of orphanages in the coming year.