Orphaned by war, disaster: World’s refugee children seeking more foster homes in the US
By Russell Contreras, APSunday, February 21, 2010
World’s refugee orphans seeking homes in the US
HOLLISTON, Mass. — The number of international orphans who need homes in the United States is rising, largely because of armed conflicts in Africa and such disasters as the Haitian earthquake.
Federal refugee officials have already placed 700 orphans in homes in 14 states and the District of Columbia. They say they’re having to ask states to take even more minors whose parents have either disappeared or been killed.
Massachusetts is being asked to add an additional 32 orphans to the 93 it already has taken. Paul Boulanger (boo-lan-JER’), a 68-year-old single father in Holliston, has fostered three dozen refugee children in 30 years. He now has teenagers from the Congo, China and Myanmar (mee-an-MAWR’) living with him.
