While safety is widely recognised as a fundamental component of child well-being, little is known about how children and young people in residential care themselves define and experience safety. This study presents a systematic review of qualitative research that explores the concept of safety from the perspective of children living in residential care settings. Employing the methodology of Qualitative Metasynthesis, the study aims to synthesise and analyse the core dimensions that children associate with feeling safe in these environments. A systematic search was conducted in five databases: Web of Science Core Collection, ProQuest Central, ERIC, PsycInfo and Scopus, from October 2024 to May 2025 (N = 7025). Articles were eligible when they (1) focused on children’s perceptions of safety in residential care (median age under 18), (2) included qualitative studies with children as first-person experiences, (3) were peer-reviewed, and (4) were written in English. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria (n = 9) were then analysed. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) Meanings and Feelings of Safety, (2) Dimensions of Safety and Unsafety, (3) Role of Professionals and (4) Children’s Strategies for Enhancing their Sense of Safety. These categories reflect the multifaceted and relational nature of safety as perceived by children in care. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of children’s perceptions of safety as a multidimensional concept, including the dimensions of violence and harm, relationships, structural conditions, spaces and places, all of which are biographically and temporally conditioned.