Orphan Farm

Orphan farms are a method of support for parentless children that is unique to Galtern. In most of the Cluster Islands, children who for whatever reasons can't be raised by their family are matched with approved caregivers, but the tightly controlled housing in Galtern's densely populated cities makes it impossible for a child to move into a home that doesn't have room for an extra person.
Instead, orphans are placed in one of the many farms on the island that offer a home to children who need one. They are fed, sheltered, clothed, and educated, and in return participate in running the farm. Any farm can be designated an orphan farm by proving it has the resources to provide for their needs and allowing Worthies to make regular inspection visits.
Not every orphan leaves the farm. Many adult workers were once farm orphans who chose to stay, and may even raise their own children there.

Demographics

Although there is a tendency to refer to all farm children as "orphans", many of them do have living family members. Some have parents declared incapable of providing a safe home life. Often, immigrants to Galtern must wait for a space to open up in a residence with a space large enough for a parent and child. If the child is five years old or younger, the parent gets priority; otherwise, the child goes to an orphan farm to wait while the parent remains in transitional barracks.

Education

In addition to the standard education, orphans learn practical skills. At the age of ten, children who show particular aptitudes and interests may apprentice in relevant roles on the farm. In particular, those who work in a farm clinic will often go on to be highly valued pediatricians because of their early hands-on experience.

Social Valuations

A farm is like a small town, and like all such communities on Galtern it operates on a social value economy. Usually children's valuations are strongly influenced by their parents', but farm orphans gain and lose credit on their own. Higher value is awarded to characteristics like good skill and cooperative behavior, and earns such benefits as being first in line to meals and having breaks without supervision. This early introduction to the value system can be a strong advantage in maintaining a high valuation as an adult.
The food parade, held every few months when the farm meets a stockpile threshold of nonperishable products, is a further early education in social economics. For the resident orphans, the event is treated as a holiday. All the farm children march out with the wagons of food and other goods. Trusted older kids get to help the dealers negotiate for fair exchange with nearby towns. No matter how low their valuation, all children get to trade for a personal perk. This can be anything from a favorite snack to a certain amount of time in a leisure house. After business is concluded, the farm children have free time to spend however they wish. Since the parades often return to the same towns, this gives children the opportunity to build value in the communities they will later join as adults.

Public Agenda

The philosophy behind an orphan farm is to provide children with a community that functions as a family. One powerful benefit of the orphan farm system is immersion in a supportive social group. Most children in a farm have experienced traumatic separation from family, and are sympathetic to new arrivals.

Criticisms

While the farms say they prepare children for adult life, the statistics show that a high percentage stay there their whole lives, leading to the accusation that the farms are taking advantage of children who don't have adult support. Many farms have also been accused of treating the children in their care as laborers. The adult farm workers don't give them parental attention, and are more likely to favor children with high valuations. Despite the advantage of earning their own value while young, farm orphans are less likely to achieve Worthy status than children living with individual unrelated caretakers.

If a child can't be moved into a caregiver's home, there needs to be more of an effort to move a caregiver into the child's home.

— Notice appearing on The Worthies' Wall

History

Up until the middle of the second Volcanic milennium, Galtern had no particular system for handling orphans. Almost always, deceased parents had close relatives or friends ready to take in their children. The night-shift movement leading into the beginning of the 17th century made it much harder to do so, since city residents now had to apply to be put on the waiting list to move to a larger home. Adopting caregivers would often be given a temporary exception to the occupancy rule to let the children stay with them until the move was approved.
The Twilight Chaos of 1642 Vol created an immediate need for placing large number of orphans left by the fighting. Even after the riots ended, tensions remained high while the Worthies debated solutions to the conflict, and it wasn't certain that there wouldn't be further violence. For their safety the orphans were sent to rural areas even though they had no relatives there. Some families who ran farms had more room and volunteered to accept multiple children. They were returned to their home cities afterward, but the model of farms as orphan shelters was in place.

Location

Galtern

Related Ethnicities

• Galternene

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Controversial Decisions

One of the hardest things for parents to accept is when a child has health problems that can't be managed at home. They face the choice of either raising the child for a short or limited life, or sending her to an orphan farm where Galtern's best hospitals are close at hand. Difficult enough when the parents live nearby and can visit, but here on Eihlari (and on other islands not part of the Cluster) it means a permanent separation.
When parents face this choice, it's natural for family members to contribute their advice and opinions. Though well-intentioned, a lack of knowledge about orphan farms often leads to pressuring the parents to keep their children home rather than send them off into the care of strangers even if those strangers have the best care known in the world.
Is it worse to watch your child struggle, suffer, and die young, or to see her carried away from you forever?