This article describes recent research on children in institutions in Cambodia. According to the article, research from Columbia University indicates that most children who are living in institutions (often deemed “orphanages”) in Cambodia have living parents. The children are often placed into residential care, the research says, because parents believe the children will have better access to care and education than could be provided in the family. “Really, the concern is creating a secondary or dual system where parents believe that their children are going to be better served by having them leave the family, instead of trying to find ways to alleviate poverty to increase access to better education,” said Lindsay Stark of Columbia. The article offers a brief explanation of the cognitive, social, and emotional impairments related to institutionalization of children versus living in family care. The hope, said Stark, is that this research will aid the Cambodian government in developing better policies for child welfare.
