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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Launch of Global Database on Children in Residential Care

UNICEF, 14 Dec 2022

This is a recording of a UNICEF webinar presenting the launch of a global database of children in residential care on December 14, 2022.

Sandra Creamera, Suzi Blairb, Maree Toombs, Claire E Brolan, 01 Dec 2022

This study aims to provide evidence and instruction to social work educators, policymakers and practitioners
in Australia’s child protection, wellbeing, and justice systems about why and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled organizations are best placed to lead out-of-home care service delivery for Indigenous children, their family and community.

Indigenous services leading the way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care

Creating Safe and Welcoming Residential Care Placements for LGBTQIA+ Youth

Monica Lopez Lopez, Gerald P. Mallon, Leo Wieldraaijer-Vincent, 01 Dec 2022

The authors review data about LGBTQIA+ youth in care and describe two European programs that are striving to provide a secure, welcoming, and affirming living environment for LGBTQIA+ youth in child welfare systems.

Revitalizing Residential Care for Children and Youth

Family-Type Care vs Residential Care Costs: An analysis of the recent developments in government expenditure and the costs per child in family-type care and residential care

UNICEF, ECORYS Nederland, 01 Dec 2022

The objective of this analysis is to provide a better understanding of the government spending towards foster care and residential care services for children deprived of parental care, as well as to estimate the cost per child of such services. The analysis is intended to support UNICEF advocacy efforts towards the closure of residential care institutions in Moldova.

Rezumatul constatărilor și recomandărilor din evaluările a șase instituții rezidențiale

Changing the Way We Care în parteneriat cu CCF Moldova, Keystone Moldova and Partnerships for Every Child, 30 Sep 2022

În 2021-2022, CTWWC în parteneriat cu trei organizații ale societății civile: Keystone Moldova, Copil, Comunitate, Familie (CCF Moldova) și Asociația Parteneriate pentru Fiecare Copil (P4EC), a realizat o serie de cercetări la nivel național, inclusiv evaluarea complexă a șase instituții rezidențiale (IR).

Findings and Recommendations from the Evaluations of Six Residential Institutions

Changing the Way We Care in partnership with CCF Moldova, Keystone Moldova and Partnerships for Every Child, 30 Sep 2022

During 2021-2022, Changing the Way We Care in partnership with three civil society institutions: Keystone Moldova, Child, Community and Family (CCF Moldova) and Partnerships for Every Child (P4EC), conducted a series of assessments on the national level, including a complex evaluation of six residential institutions (RI).

Families. Not Institutions

Hope and Homes for Children, 01 Sep 2022

This Hope and Homes for Children publication provides critical lessons learned, practical evidence and recommendations to support global, regional and national decision makers to build political will, strategies, policies, and target funding to transform care systems.

Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among Children and Adolescents in a Residential Care Institution in Colombo, Sri Lanka – Implications for Service Delivery

Yasodha Maheshi Rohanachandraa, Kurukula Arachchige Sarangi Dilrukshi Nanayakkara, Santhrasulochana Vipulanandan, 30 Jun 2022

There is evidence that children in residential care institutions (RCI) have higher rates of psychological problems, suicide and criminal behaviour. There is only one study in Sri Lanka which has examined the psychological well-being of children in RCIs. This study aims to provide further evidence to formulate policies related to the mental health of institutionalized children in the local context.

Multi-System Factors Impacting Youth Justice Involvement of Children in Residential Out-of-Home Care

Susan Baidawi, Rubini Ball, 06 Jun 2022

Children placed in residential care are significantly over-represented in youth justice systems. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with service providers, this exploratory study examines practice factors that impact on the criminalization of this group of children across multiple services and systems, including in the residential care environment, police, lawyers, courts and youth justice systems, as well as multi-systems practice with this group in one Australian state.

Youth in Residential Facilities: “Am I Safe?,” “Do I Matter?,” and “Do You Care?”

Ane Slaatto, Lise Cecilie Kleppe, Anneli V. Mellblom, Gunn Astrid Baugerud, 01 Jun 2022

Several youth facilities have devoted considerable resources to improving the quality of practice and the interest in understanding the safety needs of youth in residential care has grown. However, there is limited research that considers how youth in residential facilities themselves define and experience safety, what their safety concerns are, and how they would like systems and staff to respond to their needs. Therefore, this current study investigated youth perceptions of safety in residential facilities in Norway and their experiences of and reaction to staff behaviors and attitudes.