Orphans into loving foster families in China

Yan Ying* has worked at Shenyang Children’s Welfare Institution since 2000 and became a family placement worker in 2008. This means that she is responsible for placing childfrom the orphanage into local foster families. Wang Ying attended Care for Children’s 3-day training course in Beijing on Attachment and Bonding. Following the workshop she was extremely excited and said the following to us:

“Thank you very much for providing us with such a valuable learning opportunity. The training is very helpful, I have learnt a lot. For a long time I couldn’t understand why some orphanage children did not show any distress or went off without looking back when they were adopted or separated with their carers. I wondered if that was because the children grown up in orphanages tended  to have a ‘cold and hard’ heart or they had missed out on something. Through three days’ training and exploring, I finally came to understand that the institutional environment is not good for children to grow up in, where there are no opportunities for children to form close relationship with any specific adults, and they have missed out on maternal love which is vital and fundamental to their mental health. The lack of attachment figures may inhibit emotional, mental, and even physical development, leading to difficulties in learning and forming relationships in later life. Family is the best place for children to grow up in. Now I realize how significant my work is. I am truly transforming children’s lives.” 

Thank you for your support and staying connected to our work.

* Name changed to protect anonymity.