Reflections After a Trip to Honduras

Christine Hendricks took a trip to Honduras to see the work that she was supporting financially, the following are her thoughts after her trip…

How could I miss that orphanages aren't globally a thing of the past? Especially when my good friends are working tirelessly in Honduras to make them unneeded. 

Yes, I knew they moved down there to help with the child welfare system. Yes, I donate money to the cause. I still didn't know.

It took a trip to Honduras to realize what is happening, to realize that just because the US doesn't have orphanages doesn't mean that they don't exist in other countries. To realize that the majority of kids who live in these orphanages actually have families, and they haven't been orphaned because of the death of their parents. 

In no way are my following thoughts meant to put down anyone's efforts to help through orphanages; however, good intentions don't always provide the best results. 

Kids do best in a safe home with their loving families. 

Efforts and donations shouldn't be given to keeping kids from their parents and funding orphanages but rather to support the parents in making the environment safe for the kids. Helping the parents create a safe space for the kid to come home and thrive as a family. 

What can be done?

The end goal is reintegration into a family, preferably the biological family, if viable. This means finding out the specifics of each family's needs that are trying to get their child home. Then from there, working to help them in those areas in a way that is sustainable for their everyday life. 

Embraced International is the only organization I have come across that truly puts the child's needs above everything else. I saw firsthand how they help families with the process to get their children home and set the families up to succeed. The hope and joy these families have for their future are unmatched.