Marc Anthony treats orphans like his own kids

Marc Anthony treats the children in a Dominican Republic orphanage which he helped set up the same way he treats his own kids.

(Reuters)

The 46-year-old singer - who has sons Ryan, 11, and Christian, 14, with ex-wife Dayanara Torres and six-year-old twins Max and Emme with former spouse Jennifer Lopez - helped build the facility for 50 children after seeing the cramped conditions they were living in and now wants to make their lives as good as possible.

(Getty Images)

He tearfully said: "This is very personal. My kids in the Niños de Cristo orphanage, they're gonna eat, they're safe, they have their own beds, they have their own space. It comes down to dignity at the end of the day.

"I always say these children's beautiful, beautiful souls were dealt a rough set of cards, and at the very least, a bed, food, education ... really?.

"I am on this mission to do what I'd do for my own children."

And Marc has taken his kids with them to visit the orphanage and they have come up with their own suggestions for what the youngsters would like.

He told People magazine at his Maestro Cares Foundation's second annual 'Changing Lives, Building Dreams' Gala at New York's Cipriani Wall Street: "I've taken my own children to the orphanage. We spent a weekend with the kids, and they came up with ways to make their existence better.

"My two older boys, Christian and Ryan, came up with a whole curriculum, like, 'Based on behaviour, I think we should have a movie night.' And they definitely see what I'm doing. That's just one of those pluses - you don't count on it, but they do see the example you set."

The singer - who married model Shannon de Lima in November - admitted his own upbringing taught him the benefit of specialist schemes.

He said: "I benefitted from a lot of inner city programs, whether the boys club, Johnny Colon's music school, JROTC, all those after-school programs. I'm a product of these. I know how effective they can be."

The fundraising evening raised over $1 million for the good cause.

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