▁care ▁of ▁them . ▁Prior ▁to ▁its ▁found ing , ▁or phan ed ▁black ▁children ▁were ▁hous ed ▁in ▁j ails ▁or ▁worked ▁as ▁begg ars ▁or ▁chim ney ▁swe eps ▁as ▁or phan ages ▁refused ▁to ▁take ▁them . ▁The ▁or phan age ▁initially ▁offered ▁school ing ▁only ▁for ▁inf ants , ▁feeling ▁that ▁their ▁w ards ▁would ▁not ▁advance ▁far ▁in ▁society ▁due ▁to ▁be ▁Black ▁and ▁or ph ans . ▁Old er ▁children ▁were ▁bound ▁by ▁indent ured ▁serv itude ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁were ▁contract ed ▁to ▁families , ▁both ▁Black ▁and ▁white , ▁to ▁learn ▁a ▁trade ▁or ▁skill ▁until ▁age ▁ 2 1 . ▁The ▁families , ▁in ▁turn , ▁paid ▁a ▁small ▁fee ▁to ▁the ▁Col ored ▁Or phan ▁As yl um ▁for ▁the ▁services ▁which ▁were ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁bank ▁for ▁when ▁the ▁child ▁left ▁the ▁institution . ▁By ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁school ing ▁was ▁increased ▁until ▁grade ▁six ▁and ▁sent ▁several ▁students ▁to ▁the ▁Ham pton ▁Institute ▁for ▁further ▁study . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁school ing ▁was ▁increased ▁until ▁grade ▁eight ▁and ▁the ▁indent ure ▁system ▁evol ved ▁into ▁a ▁loose ▁fost er ▁care ▁system ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁child ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁continue ▁their ▁studies . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁Dr . ▁James ▁McC une ▁Smith , ▁the ▁country ' s ▁first ▁lic ensed ▁African ▁American ▁medical ▁doctor , ▁became ▁the ▁or phan age ' s ▁medical ▁director . ▁The ▁or