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Orphanages and children’s homes were institutions created to care for dependent, abandoned, or impoverished children. Despite the name, many children housed in these institutions were not true orphans but were placed temporarily due to poverty, illness, or family hardship. Records from these facilities can provide valuable clues about family circumstances and guardianship arrangements.
Why Children Entered Institutional Care
Children were admitted for many reasons, including:
- Death of one or both parents
- Parental illness or incapacity
- Poverty or financial hardship
- Abandonment
- Illegitimacy
- Court order due to neglect or abuse
- Temporary placement during crisis
In many cases, children were placed temporarily rather than permanently.
Types of Institutions
Records may refer to facilities by various names:
- Orphan Asylum
- Children’s Home
- Industrial School
- Reform School
- Foundling Home
- County Home
- House of Refuge
- Boarding Home
- Training School
Some were religiously affiliated, others were county or state operated.
What Records May Include
Institutional records vary widely but may contain:
- Admission registers
- Parent or guardian information
- Age and birthplace
- Reason for admission
- Medical information
- Baptism or religious affiliation
- Discharge or placement details
- Apprenticeship or “binding out” contracts
In some cases, correspondence or case files survive.
Placement and “Binding Out”
Many institutions placed children into:
- Apprenticeships
- Domestic service
- Foster homes
- Adoptive homes
Records may note “indentured,” “placed,” or “bound out” with the name of the receiving household.
Clues in Other Records
If institutional records are lost or restricted, clues may appear in:
- County court minutes
- Probate guardianship records
- Poorhouse records
- Newspaper notices
- Census entries listing children in institutions
- Church baptism or confirmation registers
Research Considerations
Children may appear:
- Under institutional name in census
- With different surnames after placement
- Listed separately from parents in tax or court records
Not all children remained in institutional care long-term. Some returned to family members once circumstances improved.
Privacy and Access
Many orphanage and children’s home records are:
- Restricted due to privacy laws
- Held by religious organizations
- Archived at state historical societies
- Fragmentary or incomplete
Even when case files are sealed, admission registers and annual reports may still be accessible.
If you’d like this information in a clean, printable, and well-organized reference format, this topic is also included in the Quicksheet Vault. The Vault is designed for researchers who prefer working tools they can save, print, and reuse—whether that means building a personal binder of key resources or keeping reliable references close at hand. You can learn more about the Quicksheet Vault HERE