Kaye McKean writes:

Subject: Russian Orphans

Russian orphans are no longer 'evicted' from orphanages at age 16 and sent to the streets. The government now gives them a reasonable living allowance until they are 23 years old. In addition every orphanage 'graduate' must enter some form of tertiary education: be it a trade (sewing, truck driving) or a college (teaching, farming) or a university. Children live in EITHER their deceased parents apartments (if their parents owned property) or they live in a academic hostel. Our charity provides academic tutoring both within orphanages and for students studying at college / university in order to increase the chances of these children gaining a useful qualification and therefore a good job and a future of hope. While it is true that orphans have had a terrible time in Russia in the past, things are improving dramatically. In the orphanages it is common for a staff child ratio to be 1:3 or even better! It is the street children in Russia who are falling through the gaps that are most vulnerable now. The orphanages (by and large) are pretty good.