Photo credit: Lynne Dobson
The Problem
As you read this, millions of children are separated from their families, living in institutions or on the streets. Many survive with substandard care, unloved and at risk – all of them dreaming of a family. In the worst cases, the orphanage environment exposes children to devastating abuse and psychological trauma, creating adults who are 10x more likely to become sex workers and 50x more likely to be in prison.
But, we are also in the midst of a profound paradigm shift. Efforts are being made to reform foster care systems, support families before separation occurs and reunite families where preventable separation has occurred. We all know kids everywhere deserve better.
The movement has begun and Miracle Foundation is on the front line.
Our Solution
Our work in the past was grounded in helping orphans in need to have a better quality of life but has evolved to also ensure that every child has an opportunity to grow up in a family. We’ve learned that children who are separated from their families yearn to go back and feel the love and belonging a family can offer. At Miracle Foundation, our vision is a family for every child in our lifetime.
In order to ensure a family for every child, we have three core initiatives:
Prevent children from entering the system
Every day around the world, social workers, caregivers and government officials make decisions that impact millions of vulnerable children. Along with UNICEF and other partners, we provide highly specialized training and educational resources for these “boots on the ground” workers in the childcare ecosystem.
Through this collaboration, Miracle Foundation has trained 2300+ government officials and caregivers, while activating child-protection committees and empowering youth-led initiatives. All of this outreach works to identify and support at-risk children and vulnerable families long before formal interventions become a necessity. This is the future. This is how we break the cycle.
Transition children from orphanages into families
After years of supporting children in orphanages, we now focus on helping children transition from orphanages into families. To facilitate this, we’ve adapted our Thrive Scale™ to measure and activate a child’s rights after they return home. We’re also encouraging orphanage buy-in on the concept of family reunification.
Connect the US Foster Care System
Miracle Foundation is applying our expertise in data collection and ground-breaking technology to the US foster care system. With the introduction of our FosterShare™ app, we are simplifying reporting and connecting community services to foster families. By linking agencies, experts and education to an easy-to-use app, we are creating greater stability and preventing the traumatic negative impacts on children when they are moved from foster home to foster home.
How We Measure
Our proprietary Thrive Scale™ methodology allows us to measure progress and assess risk at every stage of our work. Developed over the past two decades, this one-of-a-kind tool is taking the guesswork out of child care…and has propelled Miracle Foundation into a global nonprofit organization for children.
CASE STUDY
Aarambh: From Orphanage to Family-Focused Program
Sixty years of research suggests that children without families have a lower IQ and a higher chance of ending up trafficked or incarcerated. We all know there is a better way. Here’s a story of how one orphanage is addressing the problem. Read More >
Children’s lives improved
Government workers and childcare providers trained
Children reunited with families
