When is National Orphan Sunday in 2024? That is the question, which should be discussed and the answer to which has to be known well in every society. Why? – The matter is that, unfortunately, in the contemporary world there is still a great amount of small citizens, who need our care, attention and time.
That is the main reason why we have made a decision and to discuss this special occasion in details.
History
Of course, we understand that it would be rather difficult or even impossible to explain, what day Orphan Sunday in 2024 is, and why we really need it without paying close attention to the historical background of this event.
All in all, the event with this name has been known well for some years already. It has been held by churches and various organizations, including the religious ones. These dates have been created mainly in order to draw people’s attention to the problems, needs and troubles of contemporary orphans.
The so-called Christian Alliance established their own date with this name, after the American representative Gary Schneider had attended Zambian church service. He saw a great amount of orphans there, who were hungry, thirsty and were suffering from poverty and numerous diseases. But it was not everything. The families of those boys and girls had neither money nor opportunity to send their children to school. That is why they didn’t have any good job in future. Of course, in Zambia there was a special company, which should find out to any ways to support those kids. Unfortunately, the only things they could offer were to give the children their own shoes, clothes and pieces of furniture.
Showing the extreme generosity Gary Schneider decided to help the Zambian administration to care the poor local children. He established Orphan Sunday and asked the people all around the world to get this new practice.
At last by 2003 the tradition had come to US. Up to the present moment the Christian Alliance involves more than 155 different respected ministries.
We also can’t but mention that an Orphan Sunday is celebrated in many thousands of cathedrals and churches all around the world among over 50 nations on November 5 annually.
Interesting Holidays:
Meaning
What does Orphan Sunday mean? Frankly speaking, usually it is up to you to decide whether to remember about this day. You see, this problem seems global at the first sight, but many people don’t even think about it, as it is not actual for them personally.
All in all more than half a million children live in US foster families. Why does this happen? Have you ever thought about it? – The matter is that it is often impossible to return a child to his or her own family. It is not often possible to find relatives who are willing to take on the child’s upbringing. It is also not easy to transfer such children to adoption, because most of them have parents alive and not even deprived of parental rights.
According to statistics, only every fifth child living in a foster family can be adopted. In addition, the adoption process in the US is very complex. And that’s why many Americans prefer to adopt children abroad. According to the American laws, for example, biological parents have huge rights and can then return the child through the court.
Talking about the answer to the question “What is the date of Orphan Sunday 2024?”, we should also remind that the existing system in the US is constantly criticized, many believe that it does not cope with its main task – to quickly find a child a permanent home and family. Despite the fact that in 1997 a law was adopted that facilitates the process of transfer to adoption. The very same foster families are chronically lacking, because not many are ready to take up the temporary education of another’s child. Moreover, the state subsidies paid are not very generously. And social workers sometimes do not have enough time and money to track the fate of each child. And children sometimes just disappear from sight. And the problems that arise in connection with this, quite often later become the subjects of American police serials.
Definition
Trying to find the answer to the question “When is International Orphan Sunday 2024?” we can’t but mention that in the United States, there are almost no children’s orphanage in the common understanding of this word, but unfortunately there are also many children left without parental care.
By the way the American system for helping such children is completely different from the well-known one in the world. Its basis is the so-called foster families, which received their name from the English word “foster,” that is, “educate other people’s children.” Their main task is to give a temporary home to the child, due to some circumstances left without a family.
In such places there are not only children left without parents, but also children from extremely dysfunctional families. Such kids were taken away by social workers. Their parents can be in prisons or psychiatric hospitals, be alcoholics and drug addicts.
It is assumed that the child will stay in the foster family for a short time – from one day to several months. And for this time it is necessary to find a permanent home for him/her. If it is possible the period can be used to solve the problems in the native family and to decide whether the child returns to the parents or not. In the last case, the administration tries to find relatives willing to take them upbringing.
Other children are adopted by foster parents. The most difficult ones can be in the so-called “group houses”, a kind of small family children’s orphanages or in special schools, where they are under the supervision of psychologists. This is in theory.
In practice, much is much more difficult. As a rule, it is not possible to quickly resolve the situation. And most children stay in foster families for a long time. According to official statistics, on average the child lives in the same family for 33 months. Then he/she may be given into another family, then into the third, and so on, and as a result, many of them grow up in foster families without finding their own home.
Traditions
When is Orphan Sunday in 2024, calendar is always ready to remind you. However, we can’t but mention that unfortunately, there are no special rules and customs to hold this memorable occasion. But at the same time you can always invent something amazing for you.
First of all, if there is an opportunity to do this, visit a nearest orphanage and communicate with children, who are living there. Of course, it won’t be an easy meeting, but it will definitely change your life.
Some people prefer to charge money to various charity organizations, who are dealing with these kids.
Watch documentaries or read articles devoted to this matter. You see, there are a lot of them now.
By the way, you can spend this notable date with your family in order to understand quite again how important to live together.
National Orphan Sunday Facts
The psychology of orphans is the subject of research by many modern psychologists, as the number of this category of children is simply huge. At the same time, the state is concerned about the transfer of orphans to education in the family.
As a matter of fact, family studying will be much better than state-owned. That’s what sociologists study, psychologists write recommendations for the best adaptation of orphans in the family, reveal the peculiarities of their development.
As a rule, these kids are different from the ordinary family kids according to the following criteria.
- They are poorly adapted to society;
- Tend to deviant behavior;
- Often there is a delay in mental development;
- There are difficulties in the formation of gender identity;
- There are no necessary social, communicative skills;
- There are problems in the motivational sphere – they do not know what they want, they can’t choose the optimal ways, means to meet their needs;
- Family relationships are complicated.
