The European Declaration on the Health of Children and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families: Better Heath, Better Lives outlines ten priorities for action aimed at ensuring healthy and full lives for these children and their families. The purpose of this paper is to provide background information and offer pragmatic steps in relation to priority no. 3: “Transfer care from institutions to the community”. The paper was produced in preparation for the conference in Bucharest, Romania 26-27 November, 2010.
The paper includes a statement on the impact of institutionalization on children and young people with intellectual disabilities and their families, a brief history of institutionalization in Europe, and a description of the action that is needed. The paper also provides a definition of the term “institution,” an overview of the evidence base supporting deinstitutionalization, a summary of the minimum range of services needed to move away from a large reliance on institutions, and a list of some of the challenges involved in transferring the care of children from institutions to the community. The paper concludes with recommendations for countries seeking to transfer care from institutions to the community and some examples of successful practice.
