Why visiting orphanages now may be harmful

A girl in an orphanage. [Courtesy/GettyImages]

During the holidays, organised groups and tourists visit orphanages in Kenya, bringing gifts and foodstuffs. At first glance, this seems charitable. But what most people do not realise is these visits can sustain a system that harms children, depriving them of what they really need: stability.

Globally and in Kenya, up to 80 per cent of children in orphanages have at least one living parent or relative who could potentially care for them. Many are placed in institutional care because of poverty rather than absence of parents. Poverty remains the main driver of child homelessness in Kenya.

Without adequate support, parents are sometimes forced to place their children in orphanages even if they would prefer to keep them at home. Strengthening families through financial assistance, healthcare, and community support can prevent unnecessary institutionalisation. Research shows that orphanages, no matter how well-intentioned, affect children’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development.

Without consistent caregivers, children struggle to form secure attachments, which are essential for healthy brain development, emotional regulation, and social functioning. Children need stable, loving relationships, but a revolving door of visitors and short-term volunteers disrupts these bonds, increasing the risk of attachment disorders and long-term psychological challenges.

Even when children appear happy during visits, the repeated cycle of bonding and loss leaves lasting emotional scars. A study in Russia following children after leaving institutional care found that one in five committed crimes, one in seven entered sex work, and one in ten died by suicide. In Kenya, a report by Faith to Action showed that children in residential care often experience delayed developmental milestones and struggle with forming attachments, leading to mistrust, identity confusion and a lack of belonging in adulthood.

While high-income countries strictly regulate who can work with vulnerable children, in Kenya corporates, influencers, church welfare groups, organised teams, and occasional tourists are often allowed to interact freely with children. Reasons given for this include claims that visitors bring joy.

These arguments are flawed. Visitors rarely speak the local language, understand the culture, or have childcare training. Children already traumatised by family separation benefit far more from long-term, local caregivers.

In Nepal, children exposed to foreign volunteers had to be re-educated in local customs before they could reunite with their families, showing how well-intentioned interventions can cause harm. Visits often commercialise orphanages, creating demand for institutional care. Photos of children shared online without proper consent violate their privacy and the principle of “do no harm.”

Campaigns like ChildSafe’s Children Are Not Tourist Attractions emphasise that children should never be treated as props for social media or fundraising.

Many orphanages operate without proper child protection measures. Short-term visitors are rarely vetted or trained, increasing the risk of unintentional harm or abuse. Even small actions such as hugs or photographs can have lasting emotional consequences. True child protection requires trained, permanent staff and robust oversight, which is rarely guaranteed in volunteer-dependent institutions.

The Children’s Act 2022 and the government’s National Care Reform Strategy mark a shift toward family-based care. The law recommends placing children without parental care in guardianship, foster care, or adoption rather than institutions.

Children are not props for charity campaigns. They deserve permanence, stability, and love, not fleeting attention that disappears when photos are posted online. This holiday season, think twice before visiting orphanages. Support children by supporting families, communities, and policies that put their well-being first.

-Writer comments on topical issues