Placing Out: The Orphan Trains (2008)
SmokyHillsPBS・2 minutes read
The Orphan Train program in the United States aimed to provide orphaned, homeless, and poor children with better lives by relocating them to rural environments for care and education, funded in part by the Kansas Humanities Council. Despite facing challenges like language barriers and cultural adjustments, many children found loving families and communities through the program, contributing to the development of various states and laying the foundation for modern foster care systems and adoption practices.
Insights
- Charles Loring Brace and the New York Children's Aid Society pioneered the successful implementation of the Orphan Train program, aiming to provide orphaned, homeless, and poor children with a better life by relocating them to rural environments for care and education.
- The Orphan Train movement, which transported children across the country to find new families, not only significantly impacted American history but also laid the groundwork for modern foster care systems and adoption practices, influencing lawmakers and social workers to enhance foster care safety and investigate families for child welfare.
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Recent questions
What was the purpose of the Orphan Train program?
The Orphan Train program aimed to provide orphaned, homeless, and poor children with a chance at a better life by relocating them to rural environments for care and education.
Who were the pioneers behind the Orphan Train program?
Charles Loring Brace and the New York Children's Aid Society were pioneers in successfully implementing the Orphan Train program in the United States, aiming to give children a better life.
How were children presented to prospective adoptive families?
Children were presented to prospective adoptive families in large buildings like courthouses or opera houses, where they were inspected by potential adopters in a process reminiscent of slave auctions.
What challenges did Orphan Train children face in their new homes?
Orphan Train children often faced challenges such as language barriers, climate differences, and cultural adjustments in their new homes, posing obstacles to their integration and adaptation.
What impact did the Orphan Train movement have on American history?
The Orphan Train movement, while often overlooked in academic studies, laid the foundation for modern foster care systems and adoption practices, informing lawmakers and social workers on improving child welfare and safety in foster care.
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Summary
00:00
Orphan Train: A Journey to Hope
- Over a 75-year period in American history, around 200,000 orphaned, homeless, and poor children were relocated across the country.
- The program was funded in part by the Kansas Humanities Council, a non-profit organization promoting cultural understanding and community building.
- The Orphan Train riders were placed in 47 states and a few in Canada, with Concordia, Kansas, being a central location.
- Charles Loring Brace and the New York Children's Aid Society were pioneers in successfully implementing the Orphan Train program in the United States.
- Brace aimed to provide children with a better life by sending them to rural environments for care and education.
- The rise of industrialization and immigration in the mid-1800s led to a significant increase in impoverished children in American cities.
- Brace preferred placing children with West European backgrounds in communities that resembled their own, prioritizing Protestant children over Catholic.
- The Orphan Train program aimed to give children a chance at a better life, with many finding loving families and education.
- The Aid Society relied on charitable donations and support from individuals and organizations to fund the program.
- Stories of Orphan Train riders, like those of Frank Rafferty and Elsie, shed light on the challenges and hopes of children placed through the program.
20:00
Orphan Train: Children's Journey to Adoption
- Blankenbaker took Pete and Albert to his farm in Soldier, Kansas, along with his monthly supplies.
- The Aid Society used one agent to transport groups of 5 to 30 kids on a train, making stops and changing trains along the way.
- The agent had to manage the children's needs during travel, including food and sickness, and ensure a smooth process at the destination.
- Children were presented to prospective adoptive families in large buildings like courthouses or opera houses.
- Some towns in Kansas demanded the Aid Society return with more children, showing willingness to take them in.
- The children were needed in states like Nebraska and Kansas for farm work, with boys usually adopted first for labor.
- Girls were sought after for household chores, with some only receiving minimal education and used as maids.
- Children were put up on a stage for adoption, a process reminiscent of slave auctions, where they were inspected by potential adopters.
- The Orphan Train children were often placed in homes where language barriers, climate differences, and cultural adjustments posed challenges.
- States began passing laws to stop the orphan trains, prioritizing the care of their own dependent children and leading to the decline of the practice by 1925.
39:02
Orphan Trains: Forgotten History, Lasting Impact
- Orphan trains were a significant part of American history, yet often overlooked in academic studies.
- A college employee's presentation on orphan trains led to the idea of making Concordia a site for the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America.
- The Orphan Train Heritage Society of America aimed to establish an office, research center, and museum, with Concordia's depot as a potential location.
- The Morgan Dowell Research Center was dedicated, honoring the Orphan Train riders and those who supported the project.
- Orphan Train riders faced challenges but contributed significantly to the development of various states.
- Many Orphan Train riders had positive experiences, being welcomed into loving families and contributing to their communities.
- The Orphan Train movement laid the foundation for modern foster care systems and adoption practices.
- The program was instrumental in informing lawmakers and social workers on improving foster care safety and investigating families for child welfare.
