As part of their community investment initiatives many companies think that they make a valuable contribution to local communities by supporting orphanages. Their…view is that they can help to support children that are perceived to be vulnerable through cash donations and volunteering activities. But many experts on child welfare are challenging this approach and strenuously arguing that businesses should stay as far away from orphanages as possible...If businesses really want to help vulnerable children then one of the things they can do is to contribute to eradicating orphanages…While parental illness, disability, violence, abuse and desertion account for some of the children in orphanages, it is actually extreme poverty that is behind most cases…Supporting a poor community and creating sustainable livelihoods is likely to have a bigger impact on protecting children than supporting orphanages.