A lower percentage of Christians in the United States believe that churches and believers have a responsibility to help care for orphans, while a higher percentage believes that the U.S. government should take more responsibility to care for vulnerable children worldwide, according to new data. 

The Barna Group released new research based on responses collected from 3,351 self-identified Christian adults between Sept. 24 and Oct. 8, commissioned by the Faith to Action initiative and the Martin James Foundation. Results were compared to findings from a similar survey of 3,000 self-identified Christians conducted between Nov. 11 and Dec. 3, 2020. 

The research comes as more than one in four Christians (28%) in the United States report donating to orphanages, children’s homes, or residential care programs, which amounts to approximately $4.5 billion in annual giving.

"Most U.S. Christians report awareness of orphan care complexities, yet misconceptions persist," the report's executive summary reads.

"While 72% say they are aware that poverty is a major driver of orphanage placement, only 23% correctly identify poverty as the most common reason, with many instead citing abuse, neglect, or parental death. Similarly, although 68% acknowledge research showing negative developmental impacts of institutional care, a majority still view orphanages positively and as essential. At the same time, Christians strongly affirm family-based care. Ninety percent agree children thrive best in families, and most believe supporting families is the most effective solution."

The belief that “National governments should take more responsibility to see that children in their own countries are cared for in families” was embraced by 88% of respondents in 2025 and extended across all generations. In 2020, 84% of Christians held this belief. 

Ninety-one percent of Generation X Christians strongly or somewhat agreed in 2025 that the national government has a role to play in ensuring that children are placed in families, along with 88% of millennial Christians, 87% of Baby Boomer Christians and 86% of Generation Z Christians. 

Similarly, about three-thirds of respondents in 2025 (74%) strongly or somewhat agreed that “The U.S. government should take more responsibility to see that children around the world are cared for in families.” This marks an increase from the 69% of Christians surveyed in 2020 who strongly or somewhat agreed with this statement. 

However, adherence to this belief gradually decreased with each generation from youngest to oldest, with a higher share of Generation Z Christians (84%) believing that the U.S. government has a responsibility to ensure that children overseas are cared for in families than their millennial counterparts (79%), Generation X Christians (78%) and Baby Boomer Christians (65%). 

Overall, 78% of Christians believed that Christians were obligated to care for orphans and vulnerable children around the world, a noticeable drop from 89% in 2020. 

When asked if they somewhat or strongly agreed that individual “Christians have a responsibility to help care for orphans and vulnerable children around the world,” 82% of Generation X Christians, 81% of millennial Christians, 78% of Generation Z Christians and 72% of Baby Boomer Christians answered in the affirmative.

Large majorities of millennial Christians (78%), Generation Z Christians (72%) and Generation X Christians (69%) somewhat or strongly agreed that they had a “personal responsibility to help ensure children in need around the world are cared for in families.” A significantly smaller share of Baby Boomer Christians (56%) said the same. 

Among self-identified Christians as a whole, 74% of respondents thought Christians and Christian churches in the U.S. should take more responsibility for ensuring that children around the world are cared for in families, down from 80% in 2020. 

Seventy-seven percent of millennial Christians somewhat or strongly agreed that Christians and Christian churches were obligated to help ensure children around the world were cared for in families, as did 75% of Generation X Christians, 72% of Generation Z Christians and 69% of Baby Boomer Christians.

Overwhelming majorities of Generation X Christians (80%), millennial Christians (78%) and Baby Boomer Christians (77%) strongly or somewhat agreed that “The needs of children in the U.S. should be prioritized over the needs of children around the world.” Only 62% of Generation Z Christians subscribed to this point of view. 

Sizable majorities of both millennial Christians (69%) and Generation Z Christians (63%) strongly or somewhat agreed that “Reforming how orphans are cared for around the world is not the responsibility of U.S. Christians.” Smaller majorities of Generation X Christians (55%) and Baby Boomer Christians (54%) embraced this perspective. 

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-say-us-should-care-for-children-at-home-abroad-poll.html