Living in Poverty in Mexico

Poverty, something I’ve never experienced, but have had the opportunity to spend time in the midst of.  When working with orphaned and abandoned children in Mexico there seem to be this reoccurring theme.  Many of the children who found themselves living in an orphanage were there due to the family’s lack of ability to provide.  One sweet girl, Angelica, arrived when she was five years old.  Then meeting her for the first time at age 11, she described herself as a girl with dreams and desires.  Her smile was like any other child’s smile, but her story very different than many others.  At age four her mom left her and her brother with their father.  For more than a year her father tried to provide and care for the children.  His conflict was one that many in poverty face, how to provide and care for the family.  He worked 6 days a week, 12 hour shifts.  The government of Mexico provides no supplemental support system to assist families who find themselves in great need.  This father found himself forced to choose.  Out of love for his children he took them to a nearby orphanage, where he knew that shelter and food would be acquired. 

The stressors of leaving your home, living with 100 other children in a slightly institutional setting would alter her developmental formation greatly. 

The government has yet to make a shift in policy in order to better support families in need.  Many churches and United States non profit organizations continue to focus on the needs of orphaned children and those living in extreme poverty.  Provisions made by these various groups include; clothing, educational materials, faith based materials, summer camps, food supplemental, financial donations and most importantly time.

Studies of children adopted from overseas orphanages revealed developmental delays in 50% to 90% at initial evaluation, with a significant proportion showing delays in multiple areas (commonly, language and motor skills). Children who lived in orphanages longer, and who had medical problems, exhibited a greater degree of delay.  (2012 Valley Health System)

Resource

Valley Health System, New Jersey. The Impact of Early Orphanage Live on Developmentation (2012) http://www.valleyhealth.com/Adoption.aspx?id=178

 Studies of children adopted from overseas orphanages revealed developmental delays in 50% to 90% at initial evaluation, with a significant proportion showing delays in multiple areas (commonly, language and motor skills). Children who lived in orphanages longer, and