There are 25 to 30 million abandoned and orphaned children in our country. Despite presence of district-level Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Units, there is no published data about where the children are or what’s happening to them. Barely 0.25 to 0.5 million children reach shelters, many of which have been called out for child abuse. The standard of care at the shelters is appalling. Instances of 3 year olds in shelters not being able to talk are common because no one speaks to them. Most common form of ‘disciplining’ is locking them up in bathrooms and calling them names. Muzaffarpur and Deoria show us that instead of providing protection, these shelters have become a ground for preying on children by perverted and powerful people.