Kim Bokinskie, Kari Funseth, Sarah Johanson, Amanda Lewallen, Laura Rindahl

Anna Bassett

Edward Hoyt

Nellie Crook

Sarah Hunt

Anna May Potthoff Keeton

Overview History Map Who and Why Compare to today More experiences

HistoryOverview The Orphan Trains originated in New York City Charles Loring Brace and The Children’s Aid Society The New York Foundling Hospital

Charles Loring Brace A young minister Founded Children’s Aid Society in 1853 Concerned about the wellbeing of young children

Children’s Aid Society Services the CAS provides –Adolescent Developing Mentoring Support –Adoption and Foster Care –Arts & Recreation –Camps –Community Schools –Community Centers –Health Services –Housing –Youth & Court Diversion –Homemaker Service Still exists today in New York

Sister Irene- New York Foundling Hospital

New Foundling Hospital Sister Irene and the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul They took in babies that would have been left to die Infants would stay here until they were healthy enough to ride the trains Created “Baby Trains” for Catholic Families Preplanned adoption The list of services this organization provides seems endless, it is available at… The New York Foundling's Mission: The New York Foundling, in the tradition of openness and compassion of its sponsors the Sisters of Charity, helps children, youth and adults in need through advocacy and through preventive and in-care services that strengthen families and communities and help each individual reach his or her potential.

The First Train Left the Children’s Aid Society on September 20, 1864 Went to Dowagiak, Michigan Forty six ten-to-twelve year old boys and girls were on board All children were placed in homes off this train

Map

Who Rode the Orphan Trains? Infants Children Teenagers Homeless Orphans of all nationalities and religions The poor The abused and/or neglected

Why Orphan Trains were Allowed Welfare programs weren’t developed Children had no rights Children were viewed as property There were no laws or protection for children There were many homeless children known as “Street Arabs”

This is a copy of the Children’s Aid Society Placement Card

Before and After Two of the “Fortunate Children” Who were placed in a wonderful loving home after riding “The Orphan Train”

Come and See the Children Children stood on stages or platforms Families checked them out, and observed them Touched the children Checked their teeth Made them perform Towns were aware of when children would be there so they could pick out their new child Some children went to good families, some were not so lucky

The ENDING of the “Orphan Trains” In total 200,000 children rode the trains As of 1996, 500 Orphan Train riders are still alive The Orphan Train came to an end in 1929 because of various reasons –The Depression –New laws and new programs designed to help children

Today Not enough shelters… A shelter is not a home anyway! There is no money to fund these shelters Children are left to die in dumpsters or trash cans One in four children are being born to a single mother Drugs, Rape, Abuse, Neglect, Money, all reasons children may be homeless Women have babies in bathrooms There are a lot more organizations for the homeless Main cause is unaffordable housing for the poor Homeless people feel the most important help they could get is finding a job, help finding housing, and assistance paying for housing NIMBY Not in My Back Yard- “Oh no you aren’t building apartments for homeless in my back yard” Make Change Happen

Statistics in the U.S. Today Study conducted in 1996 by service providers 444,000 people experienced homelessness on any given night in October, which is about 6.3% of the population 842,000 people experienced homelessness on any given night in February, which is about 10% of the population 39% of them were children Not all people utilize services so this doesn’t even account for all the people that could be homeless s/

How we think of homeless today, because there is no such things as an orphan train to bring them anywhere and we don’t know what to do about this

How the Orphan Trains relate to Social Welfare They started the adoption and foster care system. They created the child protection regulations. Social workers help place these children today.