Foster Care Vs Orphanage: Child Welfare and Devlopmnent

A child is a precious gift for every individual. They bring happiness, joy, and our childhood home. We see ourselves in our kids, try to protect them from evil eyes, circumstances and unhealthy environment. A parent never wants to be away from their soul from their body. Their fascination with their wards is uncompromising and never-ending. But, is it possible for all kids to gain the love of their parents? Is it necessary that their guardian will be alive for long?
Natural circumstances are not in our hands. Nobody knows tomorrow, nobody has seen tomorrow. Many children are born with no parents, and many preschoolers see the death of their parents. And when their hopes die of healthy living, they are turned into evil activities. For the development of these kids government planned and built orphanage and a foster care center. These centers are the last hope for children to rebuild their lives on their own.
But does are they trustworthy? Are facilities provided to them? Schooling, health, clothing, how do they manage, and how to manage children in a huge number? Which is more relying on a foster center where temporary care is facilitated, or orphanages where children are adopted for safety and schooling? Let's understand the terms of these centers, their working procedure, tenure, and how they come first for a better society and children's growth.
Foster Care vs Orphanages - Role in Children’s Life
Foster Care Role:
Foster care is built to provide family family-based environment to children victims of family crisis, divorce of parents, and children in trauma, etc. Foster parents are appointed to these children for a fixed time period. Parents play a vital role in terms of education, emotions, social activities, etc. These parents are well-trained to take care of foster children. The government stipends them for catering to children well. This helps both parties financially and emotionally. They fulfill each other's needs in necessity.
Foster Care Benefits:
Foster systems provide a huge atmosphere for children to grow in social life with no trauma, besides no, burden of family crisis. Foster parents and children both benefited from this symbiotic relationship. Some of the important facts are:
- Family-based care encourages children to happily and freely do social and emotional activities.
- More support and rights in society, seen with respect.
- Academic outcomes are highlighted in well-raised children.
- Remuneration is given to foster parents for taking care and the efforts they make for the children's welfare.
- Individual or person-on attention given to wards.
Foster Care Downsides:
As every benefit has a drawback, foster care also has some drawbacks from the side. Mention below are the downsides of foster care centers.
- Children may not adjust to the new home. They may be abused or ignored.
- Foster parents may ask for more stipend than needed.
- Sometimes parents don't have many income sources for good nutrition and the development of their child.
- Siblings can be apart with different foster couples.
- Weak Rationalism due to lack of stability. No idea whether fosters are taking care of the child in a genuine way or not.
Orphanage Roles:
Orphanages are government institutes built for numerous orphan children to live without parental care. Orphanages are a great source of children separated from their parents. They provide shelter, food, and clothes funded by the government to these bodies. There are more than 50 children even in smaller NGO, government bodies. They allow couples to adopt a child via registration and official documentation completion.
Orphanages Benefits:
- Long-term shelter for children of adoption didn't occur.
- Foreign assistance is provided, and programs are organized for children's education. Schooling fees are exempted.Colleges scholarship is provided for children to support their unstoppable studies even in abroad.
- Caretakers and wardens are appointed for these children.
- Living quarters or a chamber for a large number of children. Orphanages create a structure for their living.
- The government funds these NGOs and other bodies that care for orphan children.
Orphanages Downsides:
It's not always real what people show in orphanages. Many report shows malfunctioning and ill use of government funds in NGO’s and orphanages. Children may not be given their rights. Other drawbacks are:
- Rules are imposed on children to behave correctly instead of enjoying their childhood.
- Organizations didn't show a family-like environment.
- It’s not possible for caretakers to take care of individuals one by one. No personal attention is given.
- Development in terms of social and emotional is weak compared to foster children.
- They may feel isolated from others and unable to face society normally.
Which Is Better - Orphanages or Foster Care:
Whether orphanages or foster care, both will be better places if children are nurtured and cared with love. Children are the purest souls, they only want someone who cares for them in the place of parents, who supports them in their naughty phases of childhood. Fostering provides a home, educational, social, and emotional benefit to many foster wards. They encourage social and academic activities, and have a reputation in the surrounding community.
On the other hand, many orphanages turn into hell when management is weak. Children face isolation, toned, and most importantly, lack family feeling. This leads to anxiety, depression, and health issues. Society also ill-treats them from the rest of the generation.
That really doesn't matter, which is better. They both will be best if they provide the correct environment for the children's growth and development, mentally, socially, and academically. People should also opt for adoption if they are capable of taking care.
Does Orphanages Still Exist
Despite of foster care center, orphanages are still there in many European,asian countries. They give an exposure that kind people still adopt children without any stipend, without any hesitation, in any circumstances. Do orphanages still exist? .In many countries, such as the US had deprived orphanages and instead replaced foster care system for a family bonding environment. So, orphanages in America are the foster care system, who are sent to foster couples for a temporary period. In orphanages, children struggle with emotional behavior and lack customary rights.
The government of the US takes action on this and introduces alternatives of orphanages through programs like :
-
The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act (1980)
-
The Family First Prevention Services Act (2018)
This provides funding to family caretakers, kinship care, or foster couples for the better growth and development of children's welfare. This initiative is marked as the best steps towards the physical, social, economic, and emotional development of children