In August 2015, Child Family Health International (CFHI) held a webinar reviewing the situation of children living in residential care facilities around the world. The webinar presenters included John Williamson, Senior Technical Advisor for USAID Displaced Children and Orphans Fund and co-chair of Better Care Network, and Anna McKeon, facilitator of the Better Volunteering, Better Care Initiative. Williamson’s presentation provided an overview of the paper he co-authored titled “Families, Not Orphanages.” The presentation explores the basic issues related to residential care, including the problems associated with residential care particularly related to its impact on children’s development. The presentation also seeks to explain why orphanages still persist and reviews the progress made to reduce institutionalization of children and prevent family separation. Anna McKeon’s presentation focuses on international volunteering and the ways in which it intersects with residential care centers, including the phenomenon of “orphanage tourism” or “voluntourism,” the potential negative impacts it has on children, families, and communities, and the ways in which it contributes to the proliferation of orphanages.
