God's Hope for Orphans: Every Child Deserves a FamilySýnishorn

Moses is one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament, but his story starts with heartache for both him and his mother. Moses' mother put him in the basket to save his life—not because she wanted to, but because she felt she had no other choice. The social pressures surrounding her were out of her control. She lovingly placed him in what she thought was the best place, at the best time, to give him a chance at survival.

This element of Moses' story is not totally unique. Tragically, stories like this play out time and time again in our modern world. Every day, thousands upon thousands of parents find themselves in an impossible situation. Poor and unable to care for their children, many families find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, turning to orphanages—often funded by well-meaning Christian people—for help.

Orphanages are often viewed as a way to provide the social support that struggling families need. These institutions seemingly offer the promise of a better life to children in poverty, providing shelter, nutritious food, and education. In hopes of securing a brighter future for their children, parents lovingly place them in orphanages.

However, those parents are often unaware of the damaging long-term physical and psychological effects of growing up in an institutional environment. Children who grow up in orphanages are 10 times more likely to fall into sex work, 40 times more likely to have a criminal record, and 500 times more likely to commit suicide.

Current research reveals that 80% of children living in orphanages have at least one living parent. As a pastor, I organized trips to impoverished places to build orphanages for children I thought were orphans. It never crossed my mind to ask if the kids living in the facilities we were building had a family. I just assumed they didn’t—and I am not alone.

Like me, the vast majority of good-hearted Christians I speak to who are supporting international orphanages have no idea that the beds are full of children with families that could care for them with a little support. A solution that started out with a great motive—to care for children without parents—has become a system that is unintentionally separating children from their families.

We who love the orphan have the ability and the responsibility to do better. Every child deserves a family who can provide them stability today and hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Prayer:

Father, we are reminded today of the heartache Moses’ mother faced as she placed him in a basket, trusting you for his survival. In the same way, many families today find themselves in desperate situations, seeking the best for their children but unable to provide. Lord, please open our eyes to the needs of these families and children. Help us to act with wisdom and compassion, supporting solutions that keep families together and provide every child with the stability, love, and hope they deserve. In Jesus' name, Amen.