World Orphan Week: Raising awareness

JACKSON, Tenn. — This week is World Orphan Week, and with it one group says the global crisis facing orphaned and vulnerable children demands urgent attention.

According to UNICEF, an estimated 153 million children worldwide are orphans — many of whom face hunger, exploitation and the devastating effects of growing up without a family.

Herbie Newell, president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services, is an expert in child welfare and spoke with us on the harsh realities orphans face include poverty, trafficking, and lack of stability.

And the practical steps people can take to support vulnerable children in the U.S. and abroad.

“Outside of being defined as an orphan, there are also long-term effects just having that label, and that can look like trauma, it can look like lack of stability, and it can also look like long-term negative side effects on the children’s sense of identity,” said Karla Thrasher, senior director of international adoption.

This event is growing in popularity with launches in the UK, the U.S. and Canada.

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