AIDS, conflicts, and other crises have swelled the number of orphans in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, thereby threatening realization of the Millennium Development Goals in the areas of education, health, nutrition, and poverty reduction. Few studies have attempted to synthesize evidence of risks to orphans or to analyze the extent and effectiveness of actions by governments and others to mitigate the risks. Reaching Out to Africa's Orphans represents an important effort to do both and to present a coherent framework for public action to provide aid, particularly where most needed. The authors examine the costs, strengths, and weaknesses of various actions by governments, nongovernmental organizations, and donors to address the needs of orphans and lessen the risks they face. They assess the types of interventions most likely to work in a given country context and discuss ways in which successful interventions can be extended and replicated. Finally, the authors consider issues pertaining to monitoring and evaluation of interventions, as well as challenges and information requirements associated with the provision of aid to orphans.