Children’s Life after the Orphanage

An urgent yet overlooked issue that deserves broader attention

nasiraijaz May 31, 2025

0 44 5 minutes read

The issue of children in alternative care and their lives after leaving institutional settings remains largely ignored in Pakistan

Amir Murtaza

In Pakistan, the journey to adulthood is filled with challenges for most young people, but for those who have grown up in alternative care settings, the path is often steeper and lonelier. Children raised in institutional care, commonly known as orphanages or “Yateem Khanas”, are among the most vulnerable populations. Once they reach the legal age of adulthood, usually 18, they are expected to integrate into society as independent adults. However, without the necessary support systems, these care leavers often face profound struggles, including homelessness, unemployment, and social exclusion.

The issue of care leaving has remained largely invisible in Pakistan’s policy discourse. As the country’s child protection framework continues to evolve, it remains fragmented and underdeveloped, offering little attention to the transition period from care to independent living. Institutional care continues to dominate the alternative care landscape, with limited investment in non-institutional options such as foster care or supported independent living. Institutions typically provide basic necessities such as shelter, food, and sometimes education, but few offer the holistic, rights-based environment advocated by international standards like the United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children – 2009.

For children who have spent years inside institutions, the abrupt transition into adulthood can be jarring. Without structured care-leaving policies or transition plans, these young adults are often left to fend for themselves. Most institutions discharge care leavers once they reach 18, offering minimal guidance or support for the daunting realities ahead. There are no consistent mechanisms in place to prepare them for life outside, no programs that build life skills, no financial literacy training, and no assistance in securing safe housing or employment.

Psychologically, care leavers often carry the scars of their past experiences. Many report feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and anxiety. The absence of family ties or dependable social networks, which most young people rely on during this crucial phase, leaves them vulnerable to isolation and mental health challenges. The stigma attached to growing up in an institution further alienates them, making it difficult to form social relationships, secure employment, or find acceptance in mainstream society.

Economically, the picture is equally bleak. Lacking vocational skills or access to higher education, many care leavers find it nearly impossible to compete in country’s already challenging job market. Without start-up capital or support networks, they are at increased risk of exploitation, including falling into exploitative labour markets, engaging in criminal activities for survival, or experiencing homelessness. Financial independence, a critical component of successful adulthood, remains out of reach for the majority of care leavers.

Gender also influences the vulnerabilities male care leavers face. In a society where expectations of masculinity often tie worth to economic success and independence, male care leavers who fail to quickly establish themselves may face heightened social judgment, loss of self-worth, and even increased risk of substance abuse or involvement in unlawful activities as a means of survival. These gendered pressures, compounded by their institutional upbringing, can lead to deeper cycles of marginalization.

The legal and institutional framework in Pakistan offers some protections for children, but these largely concentrate on rescue and placement rather than long-term support. Provincial child protection laws, such as the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act 2004 and the Sindh Child Protection Authority Act 2011, focus heavily on institutionalization as a solution. Very little attention is paid to what happens when children age out of care. This legislative gap leaves care leavers exposed and unsupported, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive aftercare policies that align with Pakistan’s international commitments under treaties such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Compounding the problem is the lack of data. Pakistan does not maintain a centralized database on children in alternative care, let alone on care leavers. This absence of reliable data makes it difficult to assess the scale of the problem, design targeted interventions, or monitor outcomes. Without visibility, the needs of care leavers remain an afterthought, perpetuating a cycle of neglect.

Despite these daunting challenges, some glimmers of hope are emerging. Organizations like SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan have started offering transitional support to youth leaving their care, including vocational training and opportunities for supervised independent living. In Sindh and Punjab, small-scale aftercare pilot projects have been launched by local NGOs or charity organizations, providing mentorship programs and links to employment opportunities. Several civil society organizations are also pushing for the development of policy frameworks that recognize aftercare as an essential aspect of child protection. However, these initiatives are fragmented, underfunded, and limited in geographic reach, highlighting the need for a national, coordinated approach.

Read: Pakistan is home to over 4.2 million orphaned children

What is urgently required is a comprehensive national care-leaving framework. Such a framework must define clear protocols for preparing children for independence, managing their transition out of care, and offering sustained aftercare support. It must be developed with the active participation of young people who have lived experience of the care system, ensuring that their voices shape the services intended to support them.

Transitional services must be established to bridge the gap between institutional care and full independence. This includes providing safe housing options, life skills training, psychological counseling, access to education and vocational training, and mentorship programs. The creation of “semi-independent” living arrangements, where young people can gradually take on responsibility while still receiving support, could make a significant difference in ensuring successful transitions.

Data collection and monitoring are equally critical. Pakistan must invest in building a centralized database that tracks the progress of children in and leaving care. Monitoring outcomes related to education, employment, mental health, and housing stability would enable better policy decisions and more effective service delivery.

Beyond strengthening institutional care systems, Pakistan must also promote non-institutional care alternatives. Foster care, kinship care, and other community-based solutions offer more nurturing environments and prepare children for adulthood more effectively than institutions. Policies that support and incentivize these alternatives must be prioritized.

Finally, capacity building for those who work with children in care is essential. Institutional staff, social workers, and policymakers need training on rights-based approaches to preparing young people for independent life. Without a shift in mindset, from one that sees institutions as the end goal, to one that views independent adulthood as the true objective, progress will be limited.

Care leavers in Pakistan are young people full of potential, resilience, and dreams. However, without structured support, their transition into adulthood becomes a perilous journey, fraught with obstacles that no young person should have to face alone. Recognizing and addressing the needs of care leavers is not just a child protection issue; it is a human rights imperative. If given the right opportunities and support, care leavers can become empowered citizens, contributing meaningfully to Pakistan’s social and economic development.

Pakistan stands at a crossroads. It can continue to neglect these young people, allowing them to fall through the cracks of an already strained system. Or it can choose a different path, one that acknowledges their dignity, invests in their potential, and ensures that the end of institutional care is not the end of care itself. The choice, and the future of countless young lives, hangs in the balance.