This presentation was delivered 14 September 2017 by Dr. Kristen Cheney at a seminar at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
The presentation describes the "orphan industrial complex," which is defined by the commodification of 'orphans' as objects of charity. Dr. Cheney's research suggests that orphan tourism, orphanage volunteering, and donor support for orphanages are the primary drivers of the unnecessary separation of children from their families and the harmful institutionalization of children .