HAITI
Case Study
To understand why orphanages continue to flourish in Haiti, and how they affect children, Lumos investigated patterns in funding as well as the ramifications of orphanage life for children raised within their walls. At the time of reporting in 2017,
an estimated 30,000 children lived in approximately 750 mostly privately-run and financed orphanages in Haiti – only 15% were registered with the Government. The Government of Haiti estimated that 80% of children in orphanages have at least one living parent, and almost all have other family members. Poverty, lack of access to basic services, and the desire to provide an education drive parents and caregivers to place their children in orphanages. With adequate support, many children could return to family and community-based care, and at-risk families could be strengthened to prevent separation in the first instance.
Lumos documented financial support to just over one-third of known Haitian orphanages and found that at least US$70 million was donated to them annually, predominantly
from North American, Christian funders. This means that funding to the orphanage sector in Haiti is one of the most significant forms of any kind of international aid to Haiti, greater than most official development assistance to Haiti by donor countries. It also means that this is just the tip of the iceberg of financial and other forms of support to all the orphanages in the country. A conservative estimate of the total funding to all Haitian orphanages ranges upwards of US$100 million per year.
This extraordinary investment did not translate to quality care and the best interest of children. At least 140 were believed to have extremely detrimental living conditions where children are at severe risk of violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, and avoidable death. Though for the most part well-intentioned, investment in orphanages reflects the short- term thinking of foreign funders.
