The Impact and Effects of being Raised in Institutions such as Foster Homes and Orphanages (Term Paper Sample)

Author’s Name:
Instructor’s Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Course Details:
Date of Submission:
The Impact and Effects of being Raised in Institutions such as Foster Homes and Orphanages
Introduction
In past centuries, most European nations had institutions which were responsible for taking care of orphans, as well as children born from unwanted pregnancies. Due to the fact that this was the only option in existence for children without parents or guardians, the then governments did not really research into the consequences of the institutionalization of unwanted children, or orphans. Orphanages still exist in developing nations such as Russia. Orphanages in different nations have different ways of running activities. It is an established fact that orphanages do not center activities around the children they are responsible for. This is because such a proposition would not be practical in a situation where there are more children than care-takers. The institutionalization of children in young, impressionable ages usually has an adverse effect on their social, physical, and mental development; this, however, is not a well publicized fact because there are not many other options for taking care of them.
The use of Orphanages in the Recent Past
The real effect of orphanages was brought to the public limelight in 1989, when the Western media was drawn to the orphanages of Romania. The deplorable conditions in which Romanian children were being kept in orphanages horrified viewers all over the world. Many reputable news agencies showed young children who were confined to cribs that had dirty sheets. It was evident that these children had been exposed to little, if any, sensory stimulation. The caretakers were a harried group of underpaid people who could not possibly give all the children enough attention. According to Rutter, Kumsta, Schlotz, & Sonuga-Barke (2012), the Romanian orphanages had one caretaker for every fifteen children in 1989.
The workers employed in the orphanages were unemployed people who had no other option, in regards to career options. They were neither well informed about childcare, nor enthusiastic about their work responsibilities. This is evident in the way the duties of the care-workers were conducted. Toilet training, for instance, was strictly regimented. Male and female children would be arranged in a row, and expected to relieve themselves without any privacy. To reduce the chances of lice spreading, both male and female children had their heads shaved clean. All the orphans were dressed in the same uniform, and ate on rigid schedule. The orphans did not often eat a balanced diet due to the lack of resources.
Shocked by these conditions, and stirred by the helplessness of the children, American parents rushed to volunteer their homes to the children. Children’s organizations in the United States were not fully aware of the extent to which institutionalization could affect normal child development; and so could not offer any practical advice to the American citizens who wished to adopt Romanian orphans. Citizens from other Western nations like Canada and Britain also adopted children from the Romanian orphanages. Their enthusiasm for the task of parenting the helpless children, though, was soon dampened by the unique challenges they were confronted with. The Romanian orphans, for one, were much smaller in size than children of the same age, who were raised in ordinary homes. In their new homes, they also showed language delays, as well as cognitive and behavioral problems (Rutter, Kumsta, Schlotz, & Sonuga-Barke, 2012). The orphans also had challenges in forming relationships with their new families, as well as other children. These characteristics inspired behaviorists to examine the effect of institutionalization more closely in the West.
Background
In the United States, orphanages were perceived as being the ideal solution for unwanted children. Even though there was high infant mortality in these institutions, the government supported them because they provided regular meals for the children. Orphanages were usually provided for children living in cities. In the country-side, it was more common for children to be left in foster care with various families. Middle class citizens supported this trend because it would ensure that street urchins were removed from the big cities. Orphanages in 19th century United States were mainly concerned with ensuring that the children benefited from moral reform. Children had economic value for orphanages which could connect them to workhouses. This focus on business efficiency generated a system in which orphanages sought to shelter children in the cheapest tenements in order to make the most of state subsidies. It was not uncommon for orphanages to compete in producing menus that proved how they could keep their orphans fed with just 16 cents daily (Bos, Zeanah, Fox, Drury, McLaughlin, & Nelson, 2011).
This means that orphanages were created with the purpose of benefiting economically from the labor of children. Many orphanages were maintained by their orphans, who labored in different capacities in workshops. The perception that unwanted children had to work to be accepted was evident even in the country-side, where foster-family arrangements were more common. For instance, many families would opt for female orphans who had experience with household chores, or strong male orphans who could labor in farms. It was very rare for foster families to accept infants due to the fact that they would merely take up resources. In the 19th century, children were not appreciated as individual human beings who had distinct personalities, and aspirations. They were only valued for their physical strength.
Moral reform was also emphasized in 19th century orphanages. After America experienced a revival, churches began to strive to construct religiously affiliated orphanages which could teach Christian principles to orphans. It was believed that the children of the working classes, in particular, were constantly being exposed to sin. Churches sponsored orphanages which called for these children to pray and work for long hours in order to avoid the chance of falling into sin. To ensure the redemption of the souls of children, churches would even support the taking of children from lower class parents instead of assisting them to find ways of supporting their families.
According to Ghera, Marshall, Fox, Zeanah, Nelson, Smyke, & Guthrie (2009), it is estimated that there are between 5 and 8 million children in orphanages in various parts of the world today. This figure excludes children in child care establishments in places such as refugee camps, or in community care. Even though orphanages in different parts of the world today no longer seek to force children to work for their upkeep, they still have policies in practices that cannot possibly contribute to the generation of well-adjusted citizens. There has to be a complete change in traditional assumptions regarding the needs of orphans, and what they deserve. The best interests of the child have to be the main reason for the formation of orphanages.
Development in Children
Developing children need to be exposed to social situations that challenge them and stimulate them to develop social as well as psychological skills. According to Bos, Zeanah, Fox, Drury, McLaughlin, & Nelson (2011), psychosocial deprivation can actually negatively affect brain development. Once a child is emotionally neglected when in the young ages, even if extensive therapy is performed on him or her later, there will still be residual effects of the neglect. According to Ghera, Marshall, Fox, Zeanah, Nelson, Smyke, & Guthrie (2009), the development of the brain, during childhood, is actually influenced by experience-dependent as well as experience-expectant factors. Experience-expectant factors have to do with environmental aspects that exist in the experiences of all species members. Experience-dependent factors are those which involve environmental mechanisms that are distinct in each individual’s case. Examples of experience-expectant factors include regular contact with care-givers, cognitive stimulation, balanced diets, linguistic input, and sensory stimulation (Budney, 1989). These factors are usually lacking in institutions such as orphanages.
The Characteristics of Orphanages
There are certain characteristics that mark orphanages in different nations around the world. For instance, orphanages tend to have wards, rather than personalized bedrooms, in order to cater for the large group of children that require care and attention. Infants are usually placed in more comprehensive care, even though the conditions are still attuned to overall care rather than personalized care. In some orphanages, as many as 30 children may be put together in a single room, with between 7 and 10 children being assigned to each caregiver (Rutter, Kumsta, Schlotz, & Sonuga-Barke, 2012). There is no constancy in regards to the caregivers because they work in shifts. In just their first year of life, infants could be exposed to as many as 50 care-givers- making it harder for the infant to be able to bond successfully, or attach to one of the caregivers in the same manner that children in ordinary families attach to their two parents. Orphaned children who have disabilities tend to be put in special wards so that caregivers can cater to their needs with more ease.
In this highly regimented existence, there is no possibility of real relationships developing between care-givers and individual children (Vorria, Papaligoura, Sarafidou, Kopakakil, Dunn, Van Ijzendoorn, & Kontopoulou, 2006). Indeed, emotional attachments can only be formed during the performance of regular chores such as changing, feeding, and...