Stahlke Adoption

Adoption History in the U.S.

All of our children attended summer school this year. As I sorted their papers, I came across a history worksheet titled "The Orphan Trains." It made me aware of how much better adoption is handled today.

The worksheet described the history of destitute children in 19th-century New York City who were cared for in orphanages there. But there were more children needing places than could be housed. In 1854, a man named Charles Loring Brace thought that children needed homes and families, not just food and a place to sleep. He started the practice of sending children out west on trains to be adopted by farm families, who were able to feed more people and could use help with chores on the farm.

The first group of children were told what was happening. They were frightened, and some tried to jump off the train. After that, the children were told only that they were going on a train ride. They were given new clothes for the trip.

As they traveled, posters would be placed in each train station announcing their date of arrival. When the train came to the station, the children lined up on the platform, and people who wanted a child would choose one. The children who were not chosen returned to the train and rode to the next town. Brothers and sisters were sometimes separated. But despite the problems with this system, many children found a better life than they had had in New York City.
_____________________________

On the worksheet, the first page gave the history listed above, while the second page listed some comprehension questions. The last question was "If you had been one of the orphans, would you have wanted to go on the orphan train?" One of our children answered:

"no, I would not like to go an the train becuse thay migt seperat my family."

posted by Stahlkes @ 11:56 AM