ORPHANAGE HOMES AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. A STUDY OF SELECTED ORPHANAGE HOMES IN MAKURDI, BENUE STATE

ABSTRACT Orphans are at increased risk of losing opportunities for school, healthcare, growth, development, nutrition, and shelter. The main objective of the study was to examine orphanage homes and child development in Makurdi. The specific objectives were to: examine the services offered by orphanage homes in Makurdi, assess the effects of orphanage homes on child development in Makurdi, evaluate the strategies used by orphanage homes in improving child development in Makurdi, investigate the challenges facing orphanage homes in Makurdi and suggest ways to improve orphanage homes and child development in Makurdi. Attachment theory was adopted. Cross sectional study design was used while male and females from 18 years and above constituted population of the study. Cluster and simple random sampling techniques were used. Data were collected using questionnaire and analyzed using quantitative tools. From the findings, the services offered by orphanage homes included education services, social support, skills acquisition programmes, health services, counselling and guidance, accommodation services, nutrition services, security services among others. From the findings, the effects of orphanage homes on child development in Makurdi included improved socialization, enhanced self-esteem, opportunity for self-growth, access to education, better health status of orphans, provision of social support, ability to interact with others, improved sense of belonging, ability to overcome challenges among others. It was concluded that orphans troop around the streets day by day and orphans in the orphanage homes increases daily, same with the orphanages. These orphans most times lack adequate care and parental care which would help them grow and develop normal. The way the society treat and view these orphans hamper their behaviour and personality and they more often times need motherly care and consistent caregivers. These would help them feel among and would equally fill the gap created by the diseased parents. It is recommended that orphanage operators or founders should show sincere concern for the children under their auspice. Hence, they should make sure that donations from donors are committed to improving the welfare of the orphans and not for their personal benefits. When the needs of the orphans are promptly attended to, they will feel satisfied with life and will be well positioned for the future.