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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Kinnected: Keeping Children in Families

ACCI Relief, 2016

Kinnected is a program run in 10 countries by the organization ACCI Relief aimed at preserving and strengthening families and assisting children currently in residential care to achieve their right to be raised in a family. This report describes Kinnected’s programs and initiatives underway in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Lesotho and includes some individual case studies.

Institutional Care of Children and Young People in Malaysia: Searching for the ‘Right’ Direction

Faizah Haji Mas’ud - Residential Child and Youth Care in a Developing World: Global Perspectives, 2016

In this chapter from Residential Child and Youth Care in a Developing World: Global Perspectives, First Edition Faizah Haji Mas’ud discusses the state of residential care in Malaysia. Mas’ud covers Malaysia and welfare policy, types of children’s services, as well as challenges and issues Malaysia faces in providing residential care to children.

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Residential Care For Children in Ghana: Strengths and Challenges

Kwabena Frimpong-Manso - Residential child and youth care in a developing world: Global perspectives, First Edition, 2016

In this chapter of Residential child and youth care in a developing world: Global perspectives, First Edition, the reader is introduced to residential care in Ghana.

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Estonia: Country Fact Sheet

Opening Doors for Europe's Children, 2016

This Estonia Country Fact Sheet highlights the transformations made in deinstitutionalization in Estonia since 2004. By the end of 2015, there were 1,068 children in 38 residential care settings in Estonia.

Addressing Social Norms that Underpin Violence Against Children in Zimbabwe: Findings and strategic planning document

Fry, D., Hodzi, C. and T. Nhenga - Ministry of Public Services, Labour and Social Welfare, 2016

This report highlights key findings from a social norms study conducted in Zimbabwe to understand the drivers of violence affecting children.

The Lived Experiences of Children in Care with the Going Home Process in a Chinese Context: An Exploratory Study

Mooly M. Wong - The Open Family Studies Journal, 2016

This study revealed, through their narrations, the changes in the lived experiences of children who resided in residential childcare services regarding the going home process in a Chinese context.

Um fin ao silêncio: Fundamentos para eliminar a institucionalização de crianças e adolescentes

Hope and Homes for Children, 2016

Décadas de pesquisas comprovam que o crescimento em instituições de acolhida gera consequências psicológicas, emocionais e físicas, incluindo transtornos de apego, atrasos cognitivos e no desenvolvimento, e uma falta de habilidades sociais e de competências para a vida, trazendo diversas desvantagens na idade adulta.

Katie Januario, John Hembling, Ashley Rytter Kline and Jini Roby - Catholic Relief Services, 2016

This is a study from Catholic Relief Services that investigates the factors related to children’s placement in Catholic-affiliated residential care facilities in Zambia. According to this study, the government estimates that there are approximately 190 residential-care facilities located in Zambia, and of those 40 are Catholic-affiliated. At the time of this study, there were 1674 residents living in residential care.

Un Futuro Mejor es Posible: Promover la Vida Familiar para Niños con Discapacidad en Institución - Manual para Profesionales

Servicio Social Internacionale, 2016

Este manual proporciona orientación a los profesionales que trabajan con niños con discapacidades en el cuidado residencial.

Not What It Seems: Going deeper into Ugandan Orphanages

Amanda Thorsteinsson, 27 Dec 2015

In this short video, Amanda Thorsteinsson documents the proliferation of orphanages in Uganda and the role of well-intentioned Westerners in contributing to this problem.

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