Orphanages

It is estimated that there are over one million orphans in Vietnam. These children are taken in and cared for at orphanages and Buddhist temples throughout the country. Despite the economic growth, one in five families still live in poverty.  There remains great disparity between the rich and the poor.

Children and newborns are often abandoned because the families have no financial resources to raise the child.  When one parent or both parent dies, it becomes especially difficult for the surviving parent or grandparents to support the children. And hence, they are given up to the orphanages. The social stigma around having a child out-of-wedlock is another reason why many newborns are abandoned in the hospital wards. The nurses have no choice but to bring these children to the orphanages. When the families are poor, the care of a disabled child is also not possible.

The orphanages are either government-run or privately supported (Buddhist temples and private establishments). The government provides on average $1/day in financial support to feed each child, while the privately-run orphanages rely on the support of the community.

To protect the children from child-traffickers, the adoption laws in Vietnam are restrictive.  After having a closed door policy to any foreign or local adoption over the past few years, the doors are reportedly opening up again in a few locales. We will try to set up a link to some of these adoption agency.

In the meantime, we at the CVBF will do our best to help give hope and opportunities to these children, through love, education and the provision of basic needs. We thank you for being a part of this effort.