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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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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Episode 51: Dr. Delia Pop – How We Can Discover and Develop Each Child’s Uniqueness in Cross-Cultural Situations?

Think Orphan , 02 May 2017

In this episode of the Think Orphan podcast, Philip Darke speaks with Dr. Delia Pop about the impact of institutional care, deinstitutionalisation (DI), cross-cultural application, and how faith communities, missionaries, volunteers, and donors can work toward better outcomes for children outside family care.

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Residential Child and Youth Care in a Developing World: European Perspectives

Tuhinul Islam & Leon Fulcher (Editors) - The CYC-Net Press, 01 May 2017

Edited by Tuhinul Islam and Leon Fulcher, Residential Child and Youth Care in a Developing World: European Perspectives is the second volume in a series of four, bringing together contributions from local practitioners, educators and researchers throughout Europe on their countries' residential child and youth care traditions, policies and practices, as well as knowledge about children's needs, rights and personal upbringing there.

Signs of reactive attachment disorder and disinhibited social engagement disorder at age 12 years: Effects of institutional care history and high-quality foster care

Kathryn L. Humphreys, Charles A. Nelson, Nathan A. Fox, and Charles H. Zeanah - Development and Psychopathology, 12 Apr 2017

This study examines signs of reactive attachment disorder and disinhibited social engagement disorder at age 12 years in 111 children who were abandoned at or shortly after birth and subsequently randomized to care as usual or to high-quality foster care, as well as in 50 comparison children who were never institutionalized.

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Emotional Health and Self-esteem Among Adolescents in Malaysian Orphanages

Marjan Mohammadzadeh, Hamidin Awang, Hayati Kadir Shahar, Suriani Ismail – Community Mental Health Journal, 18 Mar 2017

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of depression, anxiety, stress and low self-esteem among institutional Malaysian adolescents.

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Después del fuego: Sobrevivientes del Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción en riesgo

Disability Rights International, 15 Mar 2017

Entre el 7 y 11 de marzo de 2017, investigadores de Disability Rights International (DRI) viajaron a Guatemala para entrevistar los sobrevivientes de vivienda institucional. Este documento presente la información recopilada y las recomendaciones de DRI a Guatemala.

After the Fire: Survivors of Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción at risk – Findings and Recommendations for Action

Disability Rights International, 15 Mar 2017

DRI’s main finding is that survivors of the fire at Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción face immediate danger – including detention in other institutions where they face continued segregation and abuse.