DefinePK

Abstract

Orphaned children in Pakistan face significant challenges in institutional care, where factors such as staffing, infrastructure, funding, and health protocols critically affect their well-being. Despite the crucial role of private orphanages like Al-Khidmat Aghosh Homes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, limited empirical research exists on how internal institutional mechanisms shape care quality in this context. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the impact of key institutional factors on the quality of orphan care, focusing on educational, psychological, and social outcomes. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected through self-administered questionnaires from a stratified random sample of 210 orphans across Aghosh Homes and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability tests, correlations, and multivariate regression. Results indicate that staffing competency, health and safety protocols, funding, and infrastructure significantly influence care quality, with staffing competency showing the strongest effect (β = 0.38), and the model explaining 62% of the variance in care quality. These findings underscore the importance of investing in caregiver training, ensuring rigorous safety standards, securing sustainable funding, and improving facilities to enhance orphan welfare. The study contributes valuable insights for policy-makers and practitioners aiming to elevate institutional care standards and advocates for integrating family-based care alternatives to foster better developmental outcomes.