1. Where have all the children gone?
The Orphan Trains

2. Where have all the children gone?
The Orphan Trains

3. Participants will understand the various causes and effects of the Orphan Train Movement
1. What was the Orphan Train Movement, who were the founders and who funded the movement?
2. Who was considered an “orphan” and what problems were faced by Orphans in the inner city?
3. Why was “placing out” considered the “best” solution to inner city child homelessness?
5. What were the effects of placing out on the children, their families and the communities in which they were placed?
6. How have our views about childhood changed over the last two centuries and how have those views effected how we care for our children?

4. Strategies Creating interest with Music and Readings.
Direct Instruction w/ Listening Guide
Café Protocol
Video footage
Assessments & Blog in UCUTIPS
Supplied soft copies for use in classroom
CD with soft copies & Additional e-mints.
Hardcopies of readings, adoption forms, journals & obituaries.
Student Play/ reader compiled by Karen Longmore.
Discussion guide for Rodzina.
Pamphlets for Lecture/Book and Video Series.

5. What was the Orphan Train Movement?
Forced migration of over 150,000 children from the large urban Eastern coast cities to rural “Western” states.
Started in 1854 and lasted until 1929 (75 years).
The ‘solution’ to homeless, orphaned, abandoned, abused, poor inner-city children.
The beginning of the foster care system in the United States.

6. Who was the Founder? How was it funded?
Reverend Charles Loring Brace Founder of the Children’s Aid Society (1853).
Worked with the impoverished children on the streets of New York.
His solution: remove homeless children from the streets and send them to “Christian” farm families to learn how to become good citizens.
Father of the Orphan Train Movement.
The Movement was funded by wealthy businessmen.
Philosophy of the Society: Intervention programs that would benefit and change all society.
By self-help, gospel of work, importance of education.

7. Who was considered an “orphan” and what problems were faced by Orphans in the inner city?
The children:
In the 1850’s, due to massive immigration to the U.S., as many as 30,000 abandoned children lived on the streets of New York City…
Infants, children, teens –
homeless, hungry, unprotected,
unwanted; no education, no
medical care; no future.
Many turned to crime in order to survive.
Throw away children - all they had for protection was each other.
See readings in Menu pg 21 “Obviously those ….”

8. Why was “placing out” considered the “best” solution to inner city child homelessness?
Parents unable to provide for them.
Parent(s) unemployed, ill, addicted, or abusive – unable to support their children.
No extended family available- immigrants.
No welfare or social service programs.
The leaders
Get those Street Rats off New York streets!
Put them in jails!
Put them in orphanages!

9. Why was “placing out” considered the “best” solution to inner city child homelessness?
Before….

10. Why was “placing out” considered the “best” solution to inner city child homelessness?
The “Placing Out” system:
Remove the children from New York to relieve the overcrowding and reduce crime.
Place them with families in need of laborers.
Some found loving families to adopt them.
Some were used for slave labor.
Some became indentured servants.
Trains provided cheap transportation to the places where the children were needed.
Large numbers of children could be transported at one time.

11. What were the effects of placing out on the children and the communities in which they were placed?
Trains stopped in over 47 states, Canada and Mexico.
States receiving the most children: Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri and Michigan.
States receiving the least number of children: New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, Alabama and Maine.

12. What were the effects of placing out on the children, their families and the communities in which they were placed?
Children placed with good, Anglo-Protestant, rural families.
A “screening committee” was formed in every town.
Selected possible parents.
Being chosen might mean being checked like cattle:
Feel muscles,
Check teeth,
Smile and perform.
Foster parents did not have to take siblings.

13. What were the effects of placing out on the children, their families and the communities in which they were placed?
Foster families agreed to take the child and the child had to agree to go.
Child must be treated as a member of the family (food, clothes, training).
Foster parents must provide the local education requirements.
Parents required to write annual status report to CAS.

14. What were the effects of placing out on the children, their families and the communities in which they were placed?
Many would have died if they had stayed in New York.
Very little chance for improvement.
Very few could gain an education.
Many would have been imprisoned.
Much potential talent would have been lost.
Mullen's Alley, Cherry Hill 1888 Jacob Riis

15. What were the effects of placing out on the children, their families and the communities in which they were placed?
Not all children were orphans.
Children could be removed from ‘unfit’ homes (alcoholic, abusive or “Catholic”).
All ties with the past were lost.
Some children were physically or psychologically abused.
Stigma attached to being an orphan.
Many felt that something was wrong with them because their mother “gave them away”.
Five Cents Lodging, Bayard Street c Jacob Riis
Basement of a Pub in Mulberry-Bend at 3:00 am c Jacob Riis

16. What were the effects of placing out on the children, their families and the communities in which they were placed?
Family research often resulted in dead-ends due to closed or missing records.
No family medical history.
No birth certificate for obtaining a drivers license, marriage license, pass port or military requirements.

17. So what do you think? Was it a good idea? Was there a better option?
1. What was the Orphan Train Movement, who were the founders and who funded the movement?
Was there a better option?
2. Who was considered an “orphan” and what problems were faced by Orphans in the inner city?
3. Why was “placing out” considered the “best” solution to inner city child homelessness?
Who benefited most from the program?
5. What were the effects of placing out on the children, their families and the communities in which they were placed?
How have our beliefs and feelings about childhood changed/not changed?

18. Works Cited http://www.masters-of-photography.com/R/riis/riis