Why is an Office for Orphan Policy, Diplomacy and Development needed?
According to UNICEF, 143 million children in the developing world are orphans, meaning they have lost one or both of their parents. If the current pace continues, 15 million more children will be orphaned this year alone. At the same time, by the end of 2003, only 17 countries with generalized epidemics reported having a national policy for orphans and vulnerable children to guide strategic decision-making and resource allocation. In 2007, The U.S. government reported spending $225 million, less that .7 percent of the U.S. foreign aid budget, on Orphans and Vulnerable Children. What’s worse, very little of the funding set aside to address the overall needs of orphaned children is dedicated to activities designed to reconnect these children with a responsible, loving parent. Similarly, global efforts, such as the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2002, fail to recognize that connecting orphaned children with permanent families is an important component of any uni
