World Challenge, the world's largest school-based volunteer travel company, will no longer offer orphanage volunteer placements overseas - effective by the end of this month.

In this radio interview, Leigh Mathews of ReThink Orphanages discusses why orphanage volunteering is harmful to the development of children and provides tips for those seeking international volunteering opportunities. 

Australia's education sector has agreed on the need for more regulation of the voluntourism industry to prevent students from engaging in programs exploitive to children overseas. 

Overseas volunteering in orphanages has become a trend for tourists from Australia and other Western countries; this trend has fueled the recruitment and trafficking of poor children to fill orphanages as a means to profit off the donations of tourists.

Australia's potential on orphanage tourism is now on the radar of academic institutions in the country, which often promote orphanage tourism as a volunteering option for their students. 

A letter to Australia's Attorney General and Justice Minister is being drafted by the foreign affairs and aid subcommittee to recommend an immediate ban on Australia's involvement in orphanage tourism.

In this BBC Radio interview, Jane Garvey speaks to Australian Senator Linda Reynolds, CEO of Australian Christian Churches International Relief Rebecca Nhep, and CEO of Lumos Georgette Mulheir about the motivation behind Australia's potential ban on orphanage tourism. 

With Australia's recent efforts to end orphanage tourism, Education Minister Simon Birmingham has declared that he intends to reduce the involvement and support of Asutralian schools and universities in orphanage tourism. 

This article describes a 60 Minutes interview with Tara Winkler, co-founder of Cambodian Children's Trust, about the exploitation of children in orphanages, the harm caused by orphanage tourism, and Australia's potential ban on orphanage tourism. 

The Tasmanian government has committed to reforming the state's child protection system, including investments in prevention and early intervention services, hiring additional staff and streamlining the reporting process.