Residential Care

Residential care refers to any group living arrangement where children are looked after by paid staff in a specially designated facility. It covers a wide variety of settings ranging from emergency shelters and small group homes, to larger-scale institutions such as orphanages or children’s homes. As a general rule, residential care should only be provided on a temporary basis, for example while efforts are made to promote family reintegration or to identify family based care options for children. In some cases however, certain forms of residential care can operate as a longer-term care solution for children.

Residential care can be a positive alternative for some girls and boys when it is used appropriately and meets certain standards. For example, small group home living arrangements or supported independent living can work well in cases where children (often older teenagers) don’t feel comfortable in a family setting, or where large groups of siblings want to stay together. Similarly in cases where children have suffered trauma, severe abuse or neglect, have a severe disability or require specialised support, small group settings where trained staff can provide therapeutic care may be an appropriate care option. As much as possible, residential facilities should be small, community-based, organised to resemble a family-type or small-group situation and allow for sufficient staff to provide individualised attention to children.

It is important to distinguish between residential care and institutional care, which should only be used as a last and temporary resort for children. Institutional care refers to large-scale group care within big institutional facilities and has been associated with a wide range of problems for children including physical, social and emotional under-development - with babies and infants under the age of three especially vulnerable to lasting harm. Long periods in an institution can deprive children of positive individual attention from consistent caregivers, make it difficult for them to assimilate back into a family and community, and are often linked to increased risk of sexual and physical abuse, a lack of stimulation, and harsh discipline.

In recent years, deinstitutionalisation has been at the heart of national care reform efforts, which seek to reduce reliance on institutional care and to promote family and community based care options for children instead. This includes efforts to promote ethical volunteerism within residential care centres, educate donors and to avoid proliferation of orphanages and children’s homes after humanitarian emergencies.

The documents in this section outline residential care options for children, examine the damaging impact of institutions, explore family and community-based care alternatives and describe care reform efforts including initiatives around ethical volunteerism.

Displaying 1011 - 1020 of 1482

Browse Other Topics

The Global Slavery Index 2016

Walk Free Foundation, 2016

This year’s report on Global Slavery makes reference to orphanage tourism in the context of Cambodia.

Residential Care for Children and Young People in the English-Speaking Caribbean

Letnie F. Rock- Residential Child and Youth Care in a Developing World: Global Perspectives, 2016

This chapter from Residential Child and Youth Care in a Developing World: Global Perspectives, First Edition discusses how residential care has evolved and how it currently exists in the English-Speaking Caribbean.

View Chapter

Austria: Country Fact Sheet

2016

This fact sheet highlights Austria’s process in transforming institutional care towards community-based and family-based systems.

Child Protection: UNICEF Country Programme 2016-2018

UNICEF Cambodia, 2016

This brief from UNICEF Cambodia describes UNICEF's plans and programs regarding child protection.

Un Autre Futur est Possible: Promouvoir la Vie une Famille pour les Enfants Handicapés en Institution - Manuel à l’usage des professionels (sic)

Service Social International, 2016

Ce manuel fournit des conseils aux professionnels qui travaillent avec les enfants handicapés dans les soins en établissement.

Philippines Alternative Care Case Study

Martin James Foundation, 2016

As part of phase one of the development of the Martin James Foundation's Asia Care Network, comprehensive studies of the care system in each country were conducted to highlight the need for developing alternative care systems across South-East Asia. This case study highlights the relevant data from the Philippines.

2016 Online Survey to assess the extent of unregistered Children’s Homes in Thailand

Thailand CRC Coalition Alternative Care Working Group, 2016

This document is a report on the 2016 Online Survey of Unregistered Children’s Homes in Thailand. This report found that there are more than 200 unregistered children’s homes in Thailand that have an online presence, and the current registration requirements for private children’s homes in Thailand seem to be inadequate if Thailand aims to work towards implementation of the United Nations Alternative Care Guidelines.

Residential Child Care in England

Jonathan Stanley - Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care , 2016

This article provides a summary of the current context for residential child care in England. It records continually increasing outcomes as evidenced in a new set of Quality Standards by a new inspection framework.

Video: Don't Create More Orphans

ChildSafe, 2016

This short video by ChildSafe in Cambodia explains how donations to orphanages, rather than helping the situation, often cause the creation of more orphans. It is estimated that about 80% of the 8 million children living in institutions around the world are not actually orphans. Donations to orphanages only fuel the orphanage industry further, so the focus should instead be on supporting families.

Watch the Video

Child Protection and Residential Care in Greece: An Illuminative Case Study

Iro Mylonakou-Keke, Stefanos Alevizos, Pavlos Salichos, Fotine Konstantopoulou and Chara Grosdani - Global Perspectives, 2016

This chapter from Global Perspectives is a discussion of child protection, care, welfare, and residential care in Greece. This chapter covers a brief historical overview of the child protection and care situation in Greece, as well as a discussion of care and protection of children in contemporary Greece. There is a case study included of “The Smile of the Child” foundation.

View Chapter