BACKGROUND HISTORY
The Need for Orphanages:
In the mid 1800's Charles Brace founded the Children's Aid Society to address the issue of overcrowding. He felt that it was better to place the children with families than to have children on the streets, or living in overcrowded orphanages. His solution were " Orphan Trains," which were trains that were sent out west with orphan children where they could be chosen by families who were pre-approved by local committees. Early form of placing out, now is considered the beginning of modern foster care. The train stopped in 1930 due to a decreased need for farm labor in the midwest. People began thinking that the government should help preserve struggling families. Traditional orphanages began to close following WWII, as public social services were on the rise.
When Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959, parents were worried that their children would become indoctrinated by the government because of what they were beginning to teach in schools and that parental authority would be taken away. Students were being taught how to bear arms, anti-American songs and slogans. With great fear from parents they contacted and urged the Catholic Welfare Bureau for help. The Catholic Welfare Bureau was able to convince the U.S. Department of State to get Visa requirements waived for the children and with that the operation of saving these kids began. Operation Pedro Pan, as it was called ran from December 1960 to October 1962. During this time more than 14,000 Cuban children were sent to the United States from Cuba. While Operation Pedro Pan was happening every effort was made to avoid publicity so that it would not be used for political propaganda.
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