Russian Orphan Information
- The Russian Life website claims that there are approximately 230,000 children housed in the state orphanage system. The Russian Orphan Outreach places this number much higher, claiming that over a million children are housed in state institutions. Most of these children are not orphans, but they spend their childhoods in orphanages because their parents are unwilling, unfit, or unable to care for them.
- There are many reasons why there are so many orphans in Russia and why the numbers continue to rise. The Roof website explains that Russia began experiencing severe economic difficulties after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Many families abandoned their children to orphanages because they could no longer afford to take care of them. Other children were taken away from their parents and placed in state care because their parents were abusing drugs or alcohol to such an extreme that they caused physical or emotional harm to their children.
- Although some orphanages offer excellent care to children, Russian Life claims that many orphanages in Russia are overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded. The children in these facilities do not always have access to quality medical care or nutrition. There are few opportunities for children to receive individual attention, much less mental stimulation or enrichment. Because they are underfed and uncared for, these children are often physically and emotionally underdeveloped.
- The May 2010 New York Times article entitled Russian Orphanage Offers Love, But Not Families, claims that although many of the orphanages in Russia provide cheerful and friendly environments for the children in their care, they do not actively seek out adoptive families. They are adept at sending children from one temporary care facility to another, but the majority of Russian orphans stay in the orphanage system. The article explains that the Russian government has created a system based upon the care of orphans that provides money and jobs for the region. The system loses money when children are placed up for adoption. Therefore, it is more beneficial for local workers if children stay in the system.
- According to the Ascent Russian Orphan Aid Foundation, the statistics for children who leave the system as young adults are dismal. They claim that half the girls become involved in prostitution either willingly or unwillingly. Ten percent of the orphans commit suicide, while another forty percent become drug users or criminals.
