Institutional Care and Child Abandonment Dynamics: A Case Study in Antananarivo, Madagascar

A “social market” for children care is growing in developing world, in a context of philanthropic support and strong demand
for international adoption. Moreover, impoverishment of many urban families results in a high demand for social aid that governments
have trouble to provide. We have explored the circumstances leading to the placement of 764 children using a survey conducted
among 40 residential care institutions in Antananarivo, capital city of Madagascar. One third of these children have been
abandoned or orphaned. Stigmatizations against some children (born to unmarried mothers) and the refusal to care for step-children
in newly reconstituted families seem to be key factors for abandonment. Some two-thirds of children are not abandoned and
have at least one parent alive. Families place these children for economic reasons. If residential placement is the best solution
for some children, it is important to question the relevance of child placement as a response to deep poverty, which makes
up the majority of cases (the two-thirds). How are responses influenced by adoption demand? What responses should be promoted?
How is residential placement embedded within the national policy for child protection? Our findings highlight the need for
a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics of child abandonment in view of prevention actions. This paper has also raised
the need for coordinated actions based on a real dialogue and consultation among all the stakeholders.