Page 6 - 2013 Annual Report

FOSTER CARE The Precious Gift of Family LWB strongly believes that every child deserves a family of his or her own. Our com- mitment to providing quality foster care re- mained strong in 2013, despite a growing trend among some local governments to dis- continue home care as new social welfare in- stitutions are built. In 2013 we opened new programs in Shangrao, Jiangxi and Guiyang, Guizhou. LWB managers continued to visit the children in our foster care program every single month so that we can closely monitor their progress and make sure we can help the “whole child” in the best way possible. • 347 children were served by our foster care program in 2013. • 84 children in our foster care were adopted both domestically and interna- tionally! • LWB had foster care programs in 19 Chinese cities in 2013. “Institutionalization in early childhood can alter a child's brain and behavior in the long run.” Findings of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, which has studied the effects of living in orphanages for the past 13 years LWB 2013 ANNUAL REPORT 6