Orphanages

• There are an estimated 5.4 million children living in orphanages around the world.⁸⁸
• On average, 80% of children living in orphanages have at least one living parent.⁸⁹
• Research shows that poverty, rather than abuse or neglect, is the main driver causing parents to relinquish their children to orphanages.⁹⁰
• Over 80 years of research shows that institutional care has detrimental effects on children’s physical, cognitive, social, and psychological development.⁹¹
• In 2018, regular churchgoers were 7 times more likely than British adults overall to say that they were actively involved with visiting or volunteering in overseas orphanages (7% vs. 1%).⁹²
• In 2019, 44% of practicing Christians said that they had financially supported an overseas residential care facility in the past 12 months.⁹³

For more information on how to support vulnerable children overseas, please visit our Homecoming project website.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC)

• In 2020, worldwide, 21,000 children applied for asylum having arrived in the country of refuge alone, with no parent or guardian. ⁹⁴
• In the year ending September 2023, the UK received 4,656 applications for asylum from unaccompanied children, this was 16% less than in the year ending September 2022.⁹⁵
• As of 31 March 2023, there are 7,290 UASC in care in England, an increase of 29% since 2022, and 37% since 2021. This also means a 42% increase upon the 2019 pre-pandemic figure.⁹⁶
• UASC make up 9% of children in care in England, this has seen an increase of 2% since last year.⁹⁷
• 96% of UASC are maleand 86% are aged 16 years and over (in England).⁹⁸