This article examines compassion as a relational institutional ethos within alternative residential child care in Nepal. Drawing on qualitative case study research conducted in a children’s home operating in collaboration with local and international non-governmental organisations, the study explores how Tibetan Buddhist ethical principles intersect with contemporary safeguarding and governance frameworks.

This study finds that adolescents in residential care in Chile report lower levels of subjective well-being than their peers in the general population, with notable gender differences in how well-being is experienced. The findings highlight the need for more targeted policies and interventions that address both emotional and cognitive aspects of well-being for young people in care.

This study explores the subjective well-being (SWB) of Palestinian-Arab children aged 9–13 in residential care in Israel. It focuses on how these children perceive their well-being in terms of their satisfaction with residential care and life in general. It was found that the participants’ satisfaction with their residential care facility was lower than their overall life satisfaction.

This study of children in residential care in Pakistan finds that perceived institutional neglect is strongly linked to attachment insecurity, emotional dysregulation, and conduct problems, with attachment insecurity acting as a key mediating factor. The study highlights the importance of enhanced caregiver training, emotional support mechanisms, and the establishment of nurturing and stable environments within residential institutions to promote children’s psychological well-being and social adjustment.

This study explores how minors in out-of-family care in Belgium experience placements and what improvements they recommend, based on interviews with youth in residential facilities. It finds that placements are often confusing and disruptive, and emphasizes the need for more child-centered, developmentally appropriate care that addresses both emotional needs and everyday living conditions.

This study explores how children and youth in residential care in Australia understand the concept of “home,” finding it is often defined by the absence of harm but marked by gaps in security, control, relationships, and belonging. It concludes that institutional structures and staff instability limit meaningful experiences of home, highlighting the need for more consistent, relational, and youth-centered care environments.

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of five houseparents in a residential care facility in Bukidnon, Philippines, highlighting their critical role in providing emotional support and stability while navigating significant emotional labor and institutional challenges. The findings reveal themes of adaptation, caregiving rewards, coping strategies, and personal transformation, underscoring the need for stronger institutional support, training, and culturally responsive interventions to improve both caregiver well-being and quality of care for children.

This study of adolescents in residential care in Portugal found that perceptions of psychological adjustment differ significantly between adolescents and their caregivers, with adolescents consistently reporting more emotional, behavioral, and peer-related difficulties. The findings highlight low agreement between informants and emphasize the need for multi-informant, developmentally sensitive assessments, greater inclusion of adolescents’ perspectives, and improved caregiver training and tailored mental health support.

This study examines the physical and psychological well-being of children and adolescents in residential care facilities in Mexico, addressing a major gap in systematic data. It finds that well-being levels are often below desired standards and that institutional responses only partially meet child protection principles, highlighting the need for improved practices, training, and coordination.

This study systematically reviews qualitative research on how children in residential care perceive and experience safety, analysing nine studies to identify core dimensions of feeling safe. Findings reveal that safety is multifaceted and relational, encompassing violence and harm, relationships, structural conditions, and spaces, with children actively employing strategies to enhance their sense of security.