In our world today
it is estimated that there are more than 100 million orphaned children.

Orphanages worldwide
Sick and medically fragile children are left to die. In some orphanages, the death rates are as high as 20%.

US Foster Care System
There is approximately 500,000 children in the foster care system today. Of those, 118,000 are currently available for adoption. Last year in 2004, 51,000 children were adopted from the foster care system. This is almost double the 26,000 children adopted from the system in 2003.

Russia
One in three orphanage “graduates” are homeless. One in five commits a crime. One in ten commits suicide. In 1993, of the 15,000 orphans who “graduated” from Russian orphanages, 1,500 committed suicide that year.

China
There are more than 40,000 orphanages with an estimated 3 million orphans. Two in five babies entering the system die. In response to concern of over-population in China, the government enforced a “one child” policy. Compounding the problem is the cultural response to boys and girls. The birth of a boy is celebrated, while the birth of a girl is not acknowledged.

India
Has more than 18 million children living on the streets. Orphanages are filled with the abandoned.

Romania
According to a government census, nearly 2,500 Romanian children are living on the streets and in sewers. Over 100,000 are wards in state orphanages. (This was before Romania closed adoption. The numbers must be astronomical now since Romania closed its doors to foreign adoption.)