Effects of Institutional Care

Institutionalising children has been shown to cause a wide range of problems for their development, well-being and longer-term outcomes. Institutional care does not adequately provide the level of positive individual attention from consistent caregivers which is essential for the successful emotional, physical, mental, and social development of children. This is profoundly relevant for children under 3 years of age for whom institutional care has been shown to be especially damaging.

Common issues for children in institutional care are a significantly increased risk of sexual and physical abuse, a lack of stimulation, and harsh discipline. Children in institutions are less likely to attend school, and are frequently isolated from their traditional communities. Long periods in an institution make it harder for a child to assimilate back into a family and community, and deny them access to the life-long attachments and community support systems that family relationships and communities can provide. For funders and implementing bodies, care in the community is a significantly more effective and sustainable use of resources since it avoids the high maintenance costs of institutions, and prevents many of the problems posed by institutional care.

It is widely accepted that institutions should be used as a last resort only. Countries which have traditionally relied on institutional care are now transforming their institutions into small family style group homes and actively pursuing preferences for community-based care options based around small family style units. This policy shift is urgently required in HIV/AIDS affected countries which are taking a backward step in resorting to the use of institutions to care for children orphaned or affected by the disease.

The body of literature contained in this section provides in-depth explanations of the damaging effects of institutionalisation on children and provides recommendations for alterative community care options.

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A new look at the supposed risks of early institutional rearing

S. Woodhouse, A. Miah and M. Rutter - Cambridge University Press, 22 Jun 2017

This article focuses on the assessment of the effects of early institutional care and compares three longitudinal studies from Romania, Greece and Hong Kong/China.

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Funding Haitian Orphanages at the Cost of Children’s Rights

Jamie Vernaelde and Eugene Guillaume - Lumos, 22 Jun 2017

In this report, Lumos investigates the funding patterns of Haitian orphanages as well as the ramifications of orphanage life for the children raised within them to better understand why orphanages continue to flourish in the country.

VAC in Residential Care in Africa

Kelley Bunkers - Maestral International; input from Delia Pop - Hope and Homes for Children, 21 Jun 2017

This presentation provides an overview of violence against children in residential care facilities in Africa.

Ending Institutional Care in Africa: Questions & Answers

Transform Alliance Africa, 01 Jun 2017

In this Q&A document, organisations that have joined forces to put an end to institutional care in Africa explain why and what they are doing to ensure all children grow up in the love of a family.

Social Competence and Quality of Life: A Comparative Study among Orphans and Non-Orphans

Marwa Abdussalam - Phonix – International Journal for Psychology and Social Sciences , 01 Jun 2017

This study compares the level of social competence and quality of life among orphans and non-orphans.

Unlocking Childhood: Current immigration detention practices and alternatives for child asylum seekers and refugees in Asia and the Pacific

Lisa Button - Save the Children Australia & Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, 24 May 2017

This report examines current policy framework and practices in five countries, namely Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and the Republic of Nauru.

Straightjackets and Seclusion: an investigation into abuse and neglect of children and adults with disabilities in Hungary

Mental Disability Advocacy Centre (MDAC), 10 May 2017

This report by the Mental Disability Advocacy Centre (MDAC) in Hungary contains information collected during visits to Topház between 15 February 2017 and 18 April 2017 by an MDAC team with expertise in law, human rights, disability rights, specia

Subjective Well-Being of Children in Residential Care

Fabiane Friedrich Schütz, Luciana Cassarino-Perez, Vitória Ermel Córdova - Psychosocial Well-being of Children and Adolescents in Latin America, 09 May 2017

This chapter aims to (1) review results of recent studies, conducted in different countries, on the subjective well-being of children; (2) provide an overview of residential care in Brazil; (3) discuss recent research findings from the Research Group on Community Psychology (GPPC) of well-being in children in southern Brazil; and (4) discuss the specifics of the research context with children on state protection.

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Supreme Court of India Judgment Re: Exploitation of Children in Orphanages in the State of Tamil Nadu

Supreme Court of India, 05 May 2017

This document, released by the Supreme Court of India on 5 May 2017, outlines decisions taken by the Court in regards to child care institutions in India.

The effects of early institutionalization on emotional face processing: evidence for sparing via an experience-dependent mechanism

Audrey Young, Rhiannon J. Luyster, Nathan A. Fox, Charles H. Zeanah, Charles A. Nelson III - British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 04 May 2017

This study employed event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the neural correlates of facial emotion processing in 12-year-old children who took part in a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an intervention for early institutionalization.

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