The rise in the numbers of social orphans in Russia is due to a number of causes, such as the drastic decline in the standard of living of the larger portion of the population, the lack of a clear and well-thought-out program of support for mothers and children, the decline in the value of the family and family relations, and so on. The traditional way that Russia has dealt with the problems of the upbringing, education, and rehabilitation of children who have been left without parental care has been to develop a system of various kinds of institutions for orphans. This article examines social stereotypes of perception of graduates of children's homes. More specific tasks were: to determine the basic directions in the formation of a social stereotype in regard to graduates of children's homes; to determine the degree of integration of graduates of children's homes and environment, and the characteristics of their interaction with different groups in the population; and to study the professional perception of these graduates by specialists who work with that category. (Contains 1 table.)