There is growing consensus on the need to revisit the use of the term ‘orphan’ and how it is applied. In response to this, UNICEF has issued a statement on their definition of orphan that outlines how differences in terminology around the use of orphan can have concrete implications for policies and programming for children. This misunderstanding may then lead to responses that focus on providing care for individual children rather than supporting the families and communities that care for orphans and are in need of support.
