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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Mental Disorders into Adulthood Among Adolescents Placed in Residential Care: A Prospective 10-Year Follow-Up Study

Süheyla Seker, Cyril Boonmann, Delfine d’Huart, David Bürgin, Klaus Schmeck, Nils Jenkel, Martin Steppan, Alexander Grob, Hilma Forsman, Jörg M. Fegert, Marc Schmid, 01 Jun 2022

Child welfare and juvenile justice placed youths show high levels of psychosocial burden and high rates of mental disorders. It remains unclear how mental disorders develop into adulthood in these populations. The aim of this study, based on adolescents in Swiss residential care, was to present the rates of mental disorders in adolescence and adulthood in child welfare and juvenile justice samples and to examine their mental health trajectories from adolescence into adulthood.

Care Experienced LGBTQA + Young People in Out-of-Home Care in Australia: A Case Study

Kathomi Gatwiri, Nadine Cameron, Lynne McPherson, Janise Mitchell, 01 Jun 2022

This paper presents a case study that discusses the lived experiences of two LGBTQA + young people who have been in out-of-home care in Australia, focusing particularly on the influence of relationships on their developing sexual identity.

Antecedents to Child Placement in Residential Care: A Systematic Review

Nicole G. Wilke, Amanda Hiles Howard, Sarah Todorov, Justine Bautista, Jedd Medefind, 02 May 2022

Individual studies suggest most children and youth in residential care centres (RCCs) have living parents, and parental death is not the primary antecedent to placement in residential care. The goal of the present review was to examine the literature to better understand the primary antecedents to placement in RCCs overall. One hundred thirty-two studies, including 60,683 children in 47 nations meet eligibility criteria for inclusion for the overarching review of antecedents of placement.

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Briefing Note for Overseas Donors and Supporters of Privatized Faith-Based RCFs in Myanmar

Better Care Network, Kinnected, ACC International Relief, 01 May 2022

This briefing paper draws on data and findings from the Insights into the World of Privatized Faith-Based Residential Care Facilities in Myanmar research report.

Briefing Note for Practitioners Supporting the Transition of Residential Care Facilities in Myanmar

Better Care Network, Kinnected, ACC International Relief, 01 May 2022

This briefing paper draws on data and findings from the Insights into the World of Privatized Faith-Based Residential Care Facilities in Myanmar research report.

Why Do Children Go Into Children’s Homes?

Ofsted, 13 Apr 2022

This study looked at how well matched children in England are to their homes and the extent to which their participation, views, wishes and feelings are considered in the decision-making process. The study looked at a small group of children who have a very wide and diverse set of needs and who live in children’s homes that were visited by Ofsted inspectors in late 2019.

Residential Homes for Children in Ghana: Compliance with Standards, Quality of Care, and Case Management

Nicole Petrowski, Claudia Cappa, Antoine Deliege, Muhammad Rafiq Khan, 31 Mar 2022

The purpose of this article is to provide information on the residential care facilities that operate in Ghana in terms of their licensing status, staffing, child safeguarding, and protection policies, as well as the safety and suitability of the premises. The article also describes the demographic profiles of the children who live in such facilities and provides an overview of the care they received and their well-being.

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Exploring the Relationship Between Adoption and Psychological Trauma for Children who are Adopted from Care: A Longitudinal Case Study Perspective

Dominic McSherry, Grainne McAnee, 31 Mar 2022

This study aimed to use longitudinal data pertaining to children who had been adopted from care to examine the relationship between being adopted from care and psychological trauma.

Factors Associated with the Family Reintegration Stability for Children with a Residential Care Experience in Ghana

Kwabena Frimpong-Manso, Pascal Agbadi, Antione Deliege, 31 Mar 2022

There is limited evidence on family reintegration for children who have been in residential care within the African context. The goal of this study is to find out what factors impact reintegrated institutionalized children’s desire to remain with their biological parents or extended family.

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Webinar Recording: Transforming Children's Care Webinar #8 - Transitioning Residential Care Services

Transforming Children's Care Global Collaborative Platform, 16 Mar 2022

This webinar was hosted by the Transitioning Residential Care Working Group of the Transforming Children’s Care Global Collaborative Platform and showcased learning around the transition of residential care services.

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