Better Orphan Care

Designing for the Sake of Children

Nothing enriches our work lives more than when what we do goes beyond just business. Recently Design Corps has had the opportunity to design for a worthy cause—the very lives of children. Better Orphan Care asked us to help develop their branding. But because funds have not materialized as fast as was hoped, printing of stationery was delayed and the web site was put on hold. Therefore, in an effort to help BOC reach prospective donors, Design Corps contributed this temporary website while the organization seeks to obtain enough capital through donations in order to fully initiate its programs. If you are interested in this cause and would like to contribute please go to the Better Orphan Care web site.

The Cause

Over three quarter of a million children are suffering in Russian orphanages today. The low quality of life results in developmental delays and emotional problems that last a lifetime and have a huge impact on society. In Russia 90% of the children raised in orphanages and released at the age of 15, either end up addicted to substances, involved in criminal activities, or commit suicide.

To further compound the problem, as reported in a recent National Public Radio article, “Russian authorities have suspended the work of foreign adoption agencies. That has put into limbo the plans of many Americans waiting to adopt Russian children, even as human rights groups say a growing number of institutionalized children in Russia are living—and dying—in wretched conditions.” It is clear that the orphanages are a one way avenue to failure because the mechanisms for adoption or foster care in country are non-existent or ill developed.

You can listen to or read the full article here.

There is a better way! Better Orphan Care believes children were designed to be raised by families, not institutions. No orphanage can offer as healthy an environment for a lonely and neglected child as a loving family.

Better Orphan Care seeks to provide a loving family for each orphan from within the orphanage country. BOC does not seek to be a foreign adoption agency, but rather to educate and train nationals, and thus radically change how orphans are cared for in countries where there is little to no foster care or adoption occurring.