Children entering Ghana’s public residential care have varying reasons for admission and characteristics. The international NGO community recognizes AIDS as the primary cause of children’s vulnerability and views AIDS orphans as the most vulnerable group in public residential care in sub-Saharan Africa. Regardless, almost no empirical discussion on the characteristics of children in public residential care in any country of sub-Saharan Africa has occurred. Thus, little is known about the different groups of children in residential care. This study will help readers understand the children in care and guide the implementation of appropriate interventions that meet the needs and improve the situations of different children groups in residential care. This empirical study was undertaken in Osu Children’s Home, a large public residential care home in Ghana.