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.

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Chinese Orphanages: A Follow-Up

Human Rights Watch/Asia, 01 Mar 1996

This report is a follow up to HRW/Asia's publication of "Death By Default" on January 7, 1996, which found that most orphaned or abandoned children in China die within one year of their admittance to state-run orphanages and that the government does little or nothing to prevent this loss of life—despite the modest economic cost of so doing.

Roofs and Roots. The Care of Separated Children in the Developing World

David Tolfree , 17 Feb 1995

Save the Children’s research and analysis of residential care services and the need for alternative non-institutional approaches for children separated from their families. This book examines policy and practices from work in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern and Central Europe.

The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 Guidance and Regulations: Residential Care

Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 1995

A comprehensive document outlining standards for residential care in Northern Ireland.

Alternative Care Thailand

CRC Coalition Thailand - Alternative Care Working Group,

This website, developed by One Sky Foundation for the Convention on the Rights of the Child Coalition for Thailand Alternative Care Working Group, provides access to resources on alternative care in Thailand.

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Japan Alternative Care Case Study

Martin James Foundation,

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 study highlights relevant data from Japan.

Fact Sheet: Children in Residential Care Institutions

ReThink Orphanages,

This fact sheet from ReThink Orphanages presents quick facts about residential care for children around the world.

Martin James Foundation's Asia Care Network Case Studies

Martin James Foundation,

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Indonesia Alternative Care Case Study

Martin James Foundation,

Singapore Alternative Care Case Study

Martin James Foundation,

Friends International “Think Before Visiting” Campaign

Friends International,

Friends International, with support from UNICEF, has launched its “Think Before Visiting” campaign. The campaign is aimed at partnering with tourists to end “orphanage tourism” in Cambodia.

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