Okay, let’s assume money is not an issue… I’ve got billions just in my wallet. If I wanted to start an orphanage in the US, and do it without the support of another organization (religious or otherwise), what would I have to do from a legal standpoint?
Most states have an office of child protective services that would have to approve an orphanage.
However, the orphanage model has long ago been replaced by the foster home model; I’d be surprised if there are more than a handful of orphanages actively operating in the US. I’d also expect child protective services to be highly discouraging of setting up an orphanage, since their philosophy is that it’s better if the kids are kept in a family environment.