This article from Quartz takes a historical view of orphanages in the United States, reporting that orphanages often separated children of color at disproportionately high rates as compared to white children and that most of the children housed in orphanages during the time of their use in the US had at least one living parent. These children with living family were placed in orphanages typically due to poverty or other reasons. "In essence, this means that orphanages, both those run by private charities and by state and local governments, actively orphaned children, based on criteria like race or socio-economic status. In this way, they deprived children of their most important support system—their parents," says the article. The article states that progressive activists began to advocate against the use of orphanages in the early 1900s. "The consensus that emerged from this movement—namely, that all children deserved individualized care and education in a family setting—formed the basis of the child welfare policies that we know today."
