ReThink Orphanages: Better solutions for children

About This Project

Our Story

Rethink Orphanages Network: better solutions for children is a cross-sector network that aims to prevent the unnecessary institutionalisation of children by shifting the way Australia engages with overseas aid and development.

ReThink Orphanages was set up to address Australia's role in the unnecessary institutionalisation of children overseas. We recognised that as a major sending country of people, money and resources to orphanages overseas, Australians (with the best of intentions) were actually driving the separation of children from their families.

Our Project

We've been operating as a network since early 2016, bringing together people and organisations from all over Australia and internationally to help ensure children get to grow up in families, not institutions. We work hard to provide support, advice and expertise on the issue of children living in institutions and also produce research and practical tools to help secure better solutions for children for children who live in institutions.

We want to keep kids in families, and out of orphanages - and you can help.

Your support will help us advocate for vulnerable children and keep them safe, in families where they belong.

Why It Matters

There are an estimated 8 million children living in orphanages around the world, and of these children up to 90% have one or more living parents that with support, would be willing and able to take care of them.

These numbers are growing. In recent years, the number of orphanages in Cambodia rose by 75%, despite the actual number of orphans decreasing.

In some parts of the world, orphanages have become an industry, driven by well-meaning tourists and volunteers who want to help these children. Children living in these orphanages are kept in poor conditions in order to elicit more donations from visitors and donors. In some cases, children are trafficked by 'brokers' into orphanages simply to meet the demand from visitors and volunteers for an 'orphan experience'.

The evidence is clear, growing up in an orphanage causes significant harm to children and these harms can be lifelong and intergenerational. Children who grow up in orphanages are at risk of developmental delays, learning difficulties and often experience attachment disorders, which are exacerbated by a constant stream of short-term, unskilled visitors and volunteers. Children do best in families, not orphanages.

The number of children living in orphanages worldwide is unacceptable. With the right support, many of these children could return to family-based care. We want to keep kids in families, and out of orphanages - and you can help.

Our Budget

We need your help to keep advocating for children to grow up in families, not institutions. With your support we will be able increase our impact through:

Welcoming new members from the travel, philanthropic, education, charity and faith sectors

Providing practical tools, support and advice

Creating academic partnerships to produce research and data

Holding sector specific educational events

Our Team

ReThink Orphanages is a network of people and organisations committed to preventing the unnecessary institutionalisation of children overseas. We're governed by a Steering Committee made up of representatives from the following organisations: Save The Children Australia, Forget Me Not, Intrepid Group, Cambodian Children's Trust, ACCIR, Griffith Law School, and ALTO. We also have a Working Group - you can check out the members here.

How You Can Help

We need your financial support to keep advocating for vulnerable children and to keep them safe in families where they belong.

We'd also love for you to spread the work about our work and become a change agent in your community. You can share our resources, or talk to your school, work, church or club about the issue and advocate for change. You can also find us on Facebook, and Twitter!

Use Of Funds

$50,000 TIPPING POINT GOAL

ReThink Orphanages Network will use these funds to ensure we can continue our work advocating against the unnecessary institutionalisation of children overseas.

Your support will help fund research, partnerships, advocacy and the development of resources to support government, business, charities and individuals in ensuring the way we support children overseas is helpful, not harmful.

$100,000 STRETCH GOAL

All funds raised from this campaign will go to increasing ReThink Orphanages Network's capacity to effect change for children living in orphanages, or at risk of entering an orphanage. With extra support, we can support other sending countries to replicate the work of ReThink Orphanages and ensure our impact is truly global.