Ending Child Institutionalization

The detrimental effects of institutionalization on a child’s well-being are widely documented. Family based care alternatives such as kinship or foster care, are much more effective in providing care and protection for a child, and are sustainable options until family reunification can take place. The use of residential care should be strictly limited to specific cases where it may be necessary to provide temporary, specialized, quality care in a small group setting organized around the rights and needs of the child in a setting as close as possible to a family, and for the shortest possible period of time. The objective of such placement should be to contribute actively to the child’s reintegration with his/her family or, where this is not possible or in the best interests of the child, to secure his/her safe, stable, and nurturing care in an alternative family setting or supported independent living as young people transition to adulthood. 

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Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC),

The Returning to Original Vision case story demonstrates reunification of children with disabilities as a critical step in transition. It also highlights the challenges of maintaining organizational vision within a process of transforming services. 

Lynette Oosthuizen-Erasmus, Anri Gretha Adlem,

This article advances a greater understanding of the views, perceptions and experiences of caregivers caring for abandoned infants and toddlers living in institutional care in South Africa, on the basis of information obtained from 15 participants interviewed through semi-structured interviews in this qualitative study. Understanding their views, perceptions and experiences provides vital information to develop social work practices.

Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC), Identity Mission,

The story of Identity Mission tells how a program focused on supporting vulnerable children by providing family-based care solutions alongside the local church came to be and what the challenges were to creating a mission focused on family. It is the story of one person’s own transition.

Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC), Sky Ministries,

This case story is meant to illustrate transition, the actors involved, the challenges and the success factors; recognizing that each transition is an individual process with different starting points, different dynamics and different evolutions.

Josh MacAlister,

This report is a culmination of an independent review of the UK's care system in order to build recommendations for how the system can be improved and to continue feeding in a wide range of views. The work and outcomes of the review were guided by the views of people that have lived experience of the children’s social care system in the UK.

Better Care Network, Kinnected, ACC International Relief,

This briefing paper draws on data and findings from the Insights into the World of Privatized Faith-Based Residential Care Facilities in Myanmar research report.

Faith to Action Initiative,

This case study documents the successful transition of Beautiful Gate, a children's home in Cape Town, South Africa, from the orphanage model to a family-based and community-based approach. 

Faith to Action Initiative,

Engaging with key stakeholders is an essential part of any transition and must be handled with tact and wisdom. Located in South Africa, the organization Beautiful Gate began its ministry to protect street children and later grew to provide residential programs for children in need. Yet, as they began to learn more about the needs of children in families, they decided to shift away from residential care and expand their services to include the families of the children they served. This case study summary explains how Beautiful Gate communicated these changes with donors.

Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg,

Typical large-group institutions for abandoned children or orphans are known to be bad for the development of children, but what about small-group care?

Transforming Children's Care Global Collaborative Platform,

This webinar was hosted by the Transitioning Residential Care Working Group of the Transforming Children’s Care Global Collaborative Platform and showcased learning around the transition of residential care services.