23.06.2020
Three major new papers published in the Lancet with Lumos’ support have shed light on the situation of children living in institutions globally.
Combined, this new research makes a compelling case for care reform. It is clearer than ever that growing up in an institution can lead to harms across multiple aspects of child development, affecting physical growth, learning, attention and socio-emotional development.
It is also clear that institutionalisation of children remains a global problem – with a median estimate of 5.4 million children living in institutions worldwide – but a hidden one, as so many of them currently go uncounted.
This briefing summarises the main lessons learned from the three papers and what needs to be done next at global, national and local levels to support vulnerable children and families and tackle the problem of institutionalisation globally, including in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
FAQ’s
Are we saying the previous 8 million estimate is wrong?
The 8 million figure that has previously been widely cited was an estimate made decades ago and based on the limited data available at that time. There was a pressing need to produce a more up-to-date estimate based on the best available data now.
To produce the new estimate, Lumos commissioned independent researchers from Harvard University and the Centre for Liberation Studies in South Africa to carry out a systematic review of all the peer-reviewed publications, care transformation databases, surveys and grey literature available.
Their study is the most systematic and comprehensive assessment to date of the available data on children in institutions around the world, comprising a dataset of 344 data points from 136 countries.
How many children are now estimated to live in institutions around the world?
Even after this extensive search, the researchers still found substantial numbers of missing data points from countries with no – or no recently – available figures. The researchers developed multiple statistical models to account for these missing data.
They report a median estimate of 5.4 million children world-wide living in institutions. The true scale of the problem could be even higher due to poor or no data in some parts of the world. The authors call for improvements in data collection and capacity building support for national statistical offices so that better data can be collected in the future and ensure that children living in institutions are counted.
Has the global number of children in institutions decreased from 8 million to 5.4 million?
This is not what the research is saying. The methods used to produce each of the estimates were so different that the two figures are not directly comparable.