Orphanages not best refuge for children

A news story in The Standard, February 6 titled: “US missionary jailed for 15 years over sex abuse at Kenya orphanage” is a tragic reminder that the institutionalisation of children has negatively impacted millions of children around the world, and abuse is not uncommon.

According to the June 2020 data by the National Council for Children Services (NCCS), the Department of Children Services (DCS), and partner organisations, at least 29,006 children are living in childcare institutions countrywide. Global estimates suggest that between 5-8 million children live in orphanages around the world, yet many studies show that between 80-90 percent of them have a living parent.