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History of orphanages

There have been children's homes, or orphanages, since the Middle Ages (A.D. 500-1500), hen cities, to ns, or ch!rch organi"ations provided #or homeless children. The #irst orphanage in $orth America as opened b% &oman 'atholic n!ns in 1()* a#ter +ndians massacred all the ad!lt settlers in $atche", Mississippi. ,% the 1-.0s, the /nited 0tates had ). orphanages. T ent% %ears later, in 1-50, $e 1or2 state alone had )( orphanages. 'onditions in these orphanages ere not ver% good, compared to toda%'s standards. 3hiladelphia's 4o!se o# &e#!ge orphanage pac2ed 100 orphans into #o!r dormitories. +n $e 1or2 'it%'s 4o!se o# &e#!ge, h!ge batht!bs held )0 bo%s at one time. 0!ch instit!tions 2ept 2ids in line b% treating them as little soldiers. The% drilled the orphans, p!t them on parade, and had them march to meals. +n 1*15, in response to a child-ab!se scandal, a $e 1or2 state government commission investigated orphanages. The commission #o!nd 6little children, ith their hair cropped 7c!t ver% short8 . . . sitting at ooden benches and eating o!t o# tin plates . . . some itho!t an%thing to eat at all.6 The commission #o!nd some children 6doing dr!dger%, or2ing eight or more ho!rs a da%, ith onl% one ho!r o# schooling, and that at night.6 ,et een the 1-*0s and 1*.0s, man% orphans ere p!t on 6orphan trains6 and shipped o!t est to be adopted b% #arming #amilies #or #arm labor. ,% the 1*.0s, administrators had beg!n t!rning large orphanages into smaller and #riendlier gro!p homes, presided over b% 6cottage parents.6 9overnments also developed alternatives to orphanages s!ch as #oster care, and 6 ido 's pensions,6 hich as mone% given to mothers to help their children at home. This as the beginning o# el#are. ,% the 1*(0s, most orphanages ere o!t o# b!siness, replaced b% #oster care and other alternatives. ,!t-- el#are critics as2 toda%--has this reall% been a step #or ard #or America's children:

Children at work in an orphanage asylum.

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