▁service ▁until ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁eigh teen . ▁Pl ato ▁( L aws , ▁ 9 2 7 ) ▁says : ▁" Or ph ans ▁should ▁be ▁placed ▁under ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁public ▁guard ians . ▁Men ▁should ▁have ▁a ▁fear ▁of ▁the ▁l onel iness ▁of ▁or ph ans ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁sou ls ▁of ▁their ▁depart ed ▁parents . ▁A ▁man ▁should ▁love ▁the ▁un fortun ate ▁or phan ▁of ▁whom ▁he ▁is ▁guard ian ▁as ▁if ▁he ▁were ▁his ▁own ▁child . ▁He ▁should ▁be ▁as ▁careful ▁and ▁as ▁dil igent ▁in ▁the ▁management ▁of ▁the ▁or phan ' s ▁property ▁as ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁or ▁even ▁more ▁careful ▁still ." ▁The ▁care ▁of ▁or ph ans ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁b ish ops ▁and , ▁during ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁to ▁monaster ies . ▁As ▁soon ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁old ▁enough , ▁children ▁were ▁often ▁given ▁as ▁app rent ices ▁to ▁households ▁to ▁ensure ▁their ▁support ▁and ▁to ▁learn ▁an ▁occupation . ▁ ▁In ▁medieval ▁Europe , ▁care ▁for ▁or ph ans ▁t ended ▁to ▁res ide ▁with ▁the ▁Church . ▁The ▁Elizabeth an ▁Po or ▁La ws ▁were ▁en act ed ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Re formation , ▁and ▁placed ▁public ▁responsibility ▁on ▁individual ▁par ishes ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁ind igent ▁poor . ▁ ▁Found ling ▁H osp it als ▁ ▁The ▁growth ▁of ▁sentiment al ▁phil anth ropy ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁char itable ▁institutions