According to article 20 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children who are temporarily or permanently unable to live with their families are entitled to “special protection”. The article implies that placement in suitable institutions for the care of children is the last resort, second best to placement in an alternative family. Nevertheless, institutional care may be the best placement for some children, for example if the child has suffered multiple foster care breakdowns, or when large families of siblings wish to remain together, or for older children nearing independence. On the opposite, institutional care is particularly inappropriate for young children whose developmental needs require a permanent adult caregiver.
©International Social Service and International Reference Center for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family (ISS/IRC)
