Children roamed the streets of large cities in search of money, food, and shelter. They were exposed to crime and disease. Many banded together to form gangs as a method of protection.

The great duty of the Orphan Trains was to get these children out of their surroundings and into loving Christian homes in the country.

When the trains pulled into town, the children were cleaned up and placed on stages in front of potential parents. Many people saw these needy children as a source of cheap labor to work on their large farms. For some children they did find wonderful loving homes where they grew up to be successful people. The man who created the Children's Aid Foundation and started the Orphan Trains believed that farmers out west would welcome the homeless children and treat them like their own children. Other children were not so lucky with their new homes. They found the move very painful and confusing. Some of the older boys ran away and others were not treated well by their new parents. Many were abused.

No one knew where the children would end up.