Multisectoral Determinants of Orphan Welfare: A Structured Narrative Review
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Emil Arca*
Research on orphan welfare remains fragmented across public policy, social work, public health, education, and psychology, limiting multidisciplinary synthesis of the determinants of child well-being. This study synthesized evidence on orphan welfare and social protection to examine the relationships among governance, care systems, education, health, and community support. A structured narrative review (SNR) was conducted using literature retrieved from Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and the Philippine E-Journal. Studies published between January 2016 and June 2026 were screened using predefined eligibility criteria, appraised with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP), and synthesized through thematic framework synthesis. The search retrieved 320 records; duplicates were removed manually, after which twenty-three studies met the final inclusion criteria. The synthesis identified six themes: Macro-policy and finance, structural care systems, state welfare systems, educational barriers, health and nutrition, and community initiatives. The findings indicate that governance capacity, care quality, policy implementation, educational access, health conditions, and community participation function as interdependent determinants of orphan welfare. Fragmentation across these domains constrains policy implementation and service coordination. The review proposes a Multisectoral Determinants of Orphan Welfare Framework that synthesizes governance, care systems, education, health, and community participation into a unified analytical model for multidisciplinary research and evidence-based orphan welfare policymaking, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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