ISSUE: Orphaned children

OUR VIEW: Issue of orphaned children important to address with official U.S. policy

The plight of children in this country and abroad is a source of great concern for Americans. We are a caring nation, one that often does not get deserved credit for our role in helping anywhere and everywhere.

An effort is under way in Congress to make concern for orphaned children a matter of national policy. It should be.

The proposed Families for Orphans Act would place a new emphasis on the need to improve U.S. policy for supporting healthy development of children globally. AIDS, war and poverty are causing an explosion in the number of children worldwide who are growing up without parents in orphanages and long-term foster care.

Spearheaded by Reps. Diane Watson, D-Calif., and John Boozman, R-Ariz., The Families for Orphans Act will empower the U.S. government to proactively address a global gap in the most basic of human rights — a permanent family for every child.

The Families for Orphans Act would establish the Office of Orphan Policy, Diplomacy and Development within the Department of State and provide diplomatic authority to help the 30 million children orphaned worldwide and the 100 million-plus vulnerable children who have lost one parent or are at risk of losing parental care. The new office would be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to support diplomacy and policy focusing on the preservation of families and the provision of permanent families and legal, permanent relationships for orphans. This function is currently not a part of the U.S. government’s diplomatic portfolio.

Research has shown that families are essential to the healthy development of children, and those unfortunate children who grow up without the support of a permanent family often face homelessness, suicide, incomplete education, teen pregnancy and emotional disorders.

“The human cost for children growing up without parents is steep,” said Terry Baugh, president of Kidsave and a member of the Coalition. “Children lose one month of development for every three months in an orphanage. With this handicap, it is not hard to understand why these children are unprepared for independent living when turned out of institutions starting as young as 8 years old. As a result an estimated 50 percent turn to crime and prostitution, over one-third experience a period of homelessness and most are highly vulnerable to human trafficking and to adults recruiting terrorists and child soldiers.”

The new office would elevate the plight of children, giving the United States a clear, dedicated, diplomatic authority to represent the interests of orphaned children. The office will advise the secretary of state and president in all matters related to global family preservation and permanent parental care for orphans, as well as developing global strategy, including the coordination of all foreign policy and assistance related to global family preservation. The new office will also conduct research designed to better understand the size of the population of children living without parental care and global efforts to support these children.

Thomas Difilipo, president of the Joint Council of International Children’s Services, makes the case that not only is addressing the issue of orphaned children the right thing to do, it is the wise thing economically:

“An investment in permanent family care for children is an investment in the health of the global economy. Cost-benefit data shows that effective, high-quality interventions to improve parenting skills and reduce child maltreatment save between $2 and $8 for every dollar spent. In a global economic crisis, it only makes sense that every country — and every community — would begin to invest in permanent family care.”

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