Russian Orphans

I saw this on another blog - but was a good reminder of why Russia...here are some stats:

More than 700,000 orphans are living in 2,000 state-run orphanages. Of those, 95% have a living parent either unable or unwilling to care for them. Sadly, that does not include the estimated 2 million to 4 million homeless orphans living on the streets and in railway stations....

Of those who are nor adopted and leave the orphanage between the ages of 16 and 18:
-50% of the girls become prostitutes
-40% of the children become addicted to drugs or alcohol
-40% commit crimes
-10% commit suicide

As if that were not bad enough...
-Just 1 in 10 former Russian orphans becomes a functional member of society
-132,500 children are abandoned to the state in Russia every year, up from roughly 67,000 in 1992.
-Nearly 4,640 Russian orphans were adopted by Americans in 2005, down from a record 5,865 in 2004. The 2006 and 2007 numbers are lower (because of new regulations)
-13 out of every 100 children adopted by Russians are eventually returned to the orphanage.
-40 million children in the former Soviet Union are living in poverty.

Sources: Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation