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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Family Matters: A Study of Institutional Child Care in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union

Richard Carter - EveryChild, 2005

A report discussing the advent and perpetuation of institutional care in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union prior to and since the end of the communist regime. It also provides examples of family-based care as models of care to substitute institutional care and offers recommendations to donors, NGOs and governments for child care reform based on their experience in CEE and FSU.

Scotland: National Care Standards: Care Homes for Children and Young People

Scottish Executive, 2005

A set of standards for residential settings, including the young person’s welcome into care, the quality of care they should receive, contact arrangements, and listening and responding to the views of young people.

Children Without Parental Care: Qualitative Alternatives

Assorted authors, 2005

This is an issue of the Early Childhood Matters journal. Topics include community based care, out of home care, institutional care, mothers in prison, child-headed households, and other issues from around the world

Family Matters: A Study of Institutional Child Care in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (Shorter Version)

Richard Carter - Every Child, 2005

This report reviews the faltering progress made in childcare reform across Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union over the 15 years since the ‘orphanages’ of Romania were revealed to the world.

Protecting the Rights of Children in Residential Care: Uncovering a Culture of Abuse

Jacqueline Ramdatt, 2005

Describes and analyses abuse in institutional care using a case study of a home for girls in the developed world.

Scotland: National Care Standards. School Care Accomodation Services

Scottish Executive, 2005

A set of standards for boarding and residential schools. It outlines what young people can expect when they receive school care accommodation services from a registered/regulated provider.

A European survey of the number and characteristics of children less than three years old in residential care at risk of harm

Kevin Browne , 2005

This report presents the survey Kevin Browne and colleagues conducted in 33 European countries to identify the number and characteristics of children less than three placed in residential care without their parents for more than three months during the year ending December 31, 2003. The purpose was to assess the rate and cost of residential care as a response to children in adversity.

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Timor Leste: Policy and Procedures for Child Care Centres and Boarding Houses

Timor Leste - Division of Social Services, 2005

This document is a guideline to facilitate good policy and practice within institutional care settings for children in Timor. It addresses regulations, registration, standards of care, placement and monitoring.