Global facts about orphaned children and family separation

At SOS Children’s Villages, we believe every child has the right to grow up in a safe, nurturing environment. Around the world, millions of children are growing up without the care and protection they need—often due to poverty, conflict, natural disasters and social exclusion. Understanding the scope of this crisis is the first step toward creating lasting change.


The global crisis of orphaned and vulnerable children

  • An estimated 140 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents.

  • Of these, 15.1 million children have lost both parents and are considered double orphans.

  • The vast majority of orphaned children still live with a surviving parent, grandparent, or extended family member—but many face extreme vulnerability.

Children without adequate parental care are at increased risk of:

  • Exploitation and trafficking

  • Chronic poverty and hunger

  • Violence and neglect

  • Poor access to education and healthcare

Why family separation happens

Family separation is rarely a single event—it is often the outcome of systemic issues.

  • More than 80% of children living in institutional care around the world are not true orphans; they have at least one living parent.

  • Poverty, disability, stigma, and migration are frequent drivers that push families apart.

SOS Children’s Villages works to prevent family breakdown through early intervention—providing families with the support they need to stay together.

The cost of institutionalization

Institutions are often seen as a last resort—but the long-term impact on children can be devastating.

  • Studies show that children raised in institutions are more likely to experience developmental delays, mental health disorders, and attachment challenges.

  • A child raised in institutional care is 500 times more likely to die by suicide in adulthood.

  • Institutionalized children face lower rates of high school graduation, employment, and stable housingcompared to peers raised in families.

A better way: Family and community-based care

Evidence shows that family-based, trauma-informed care leads to significantly better outcomes for children:

  • Higher educational achievement

  • Stronger social and emotional development

  • Decreased rates of violence and exploitation

  • Greater long-term stability and resilience

SOS Children’s Villages supports children through:

  • Reunification with biological families where possible

  • Long-term alternative care in family-like settings

  • Community-based support for vulnerable families

  • Access to education, mental health services, and advocacy

The power of trauma-informed care

Children who have experienced loss and abandonment carry invisible wounds. That’s why every SOS program is designed through a trauma-informed lens—so that healing, not just shelter, is at the heart of care.

Trauma-informed care helps children:

  • Rebuild trust and form secure attachments

  • Process grief and loss in a safe environment

  • Regain their sense of identity, purpose, and hope

Your role in their story

Every child is full of potential—and with your support, we can ensure they have the love, safety, and stability to realize it. Your gift helps SOS Children’s Villages:

  • Prevent unnecessary family separation

  • Provide high-quality, family-like care for children who have lost parental care

  • Train caregivers in trauma-informed practices

  • Advocate for children’s rights globally

Join us in rewriting the story for millions of children.
Together, we can give every child the childhood they deserve.

 

 

 

Your role in their story

Every child is full of potential—and with your support, we can ensure they have the love, safety, and stability to realize it. Your gift helps SOS Children’s Villages:

— Prevent unnecessary family separation

— Provide high-quality, family-like care for children who have lost parental care

— Train caregivers in trauma-informed practices

— Advocate for children’s rights globally

Join us in rewriting the story for millions of children.
Together, we can give every child the childhood they deserve.

Donate now

Learn more about our work

 

Raising children in loving homes

Unlike the cold, clinical approach of institutional care—like orphanages or large group homes, where children face caregiver-to-child ratios as high as 31:1 and siblings are often separated—we provide individualized, trauma-informed care in family-like homes where siblings remain together. 

Building strong families

We work directly with vulnerable families to address the root causes of family separation and prevent the crisis before it occurs. Our locally staffed, community-based programs help families create stable, loving environments where children can thrive. 

Emergency response

During crises, children face unimaginable challenges—enduring extreme distress that leaves them vulnerable to anxiety, PTSD and other mental health challenges. These crises disrupt their education, increases their likelihood of never finishing school and exposes them to life-threatening injuries.