We have come a long way since Oliver Twist and the Dickensian institutions of orphanages and foster care. Growing up as a young boy it was harrowing to see the emotional stress caused to orphaned friends who perhaps did not know they were orphans and were told of their position when they reached the age of 14 or 15 years. At that time foster care, as it is now called, was treated without emotion. In view of this, I welcome the advances that have been made since then, including the national standards for foster care.