This article describes how Pakistan’s heavy reliance on institutional care (such as orphanages) is both misguided and harmful, emphasizing that most children placed in these settings are not true orphans but are separated from families due to poverty and social pressures. It highlights extensive evidence that institutionalization undermines children’s emotional and developmental well-being and points to weak regulation and oversight of care facilities, which can expose children to further risks. The article calls for a fundamental shift toward family-based care—such as kinship and foster systems—alongside stronger social protection policies that address the root causes of family separation, particularly poverty, so that children can remain safely within their families rather than being placed in institutions.