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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A Participatory Review of the Reunification, Reintegration, and Youth Development Program of the International Rescue Committee in Rwanda

John Williamson, Jill Donahue, and Lynne Cripe, 2001

A paper describing a program developed by the IRC in Rwanda for orphans and vulnerable children and youth with a particular focus on minimizing placement of children into centers and finding durable solutions for those already in institutions. The paper discusses IRC’s strategies, and the different components of the program, evaluates the program in the context of Rwanda and offers recommendations to those interested in emulating IRC’s Rwanda program.

South Africa Country Report

N/A, 2001

Country report of South Africa on the situation of children in residential care in anticipation of the Second International Conference on Children and Residential Care: New Strategies for a New Millennium, to be held in Stockholm 12 – 15 May 2003.

Residential Child Care Staff Selection: Choose with Care

Meredith Kiraly , 2001

Residential Child Care Staff Selection: Choose With Care draws upon international research and the experience of practitioners to help you improve your ability to recruit the best staff in residential care settings for children.

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Rwanda Country Report

2001

Country report of Rwanda on the situation of children in residential care in anticipation of the Second International Conference on Children and Residential Care: New Strategies for a New Millennium, to be held in Stockholm 12 – 15 May 2003.

Uganda Country Report

Ugandan Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development, 31 Dec 2000

Country report of Uganda on the situation of children in residential care in anticipation of the Second International Conference on Children and Residential Care: New Strategies for a New Millennium, to be held in Stockholm 12 – 15 May 2003.

Model Social Audit Proforma for Children’s Home under the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2000 - India

Ministry of Women and Child Development, India, 2000

This blank form from the Ministry of Women and Child Development of India is designed for use during an audit of a children’s home.

Survey on Child Abuse in Residential Care Institutions in Romania

Ecaterina Stativa, 2000

Report assessing the overall features of children in residential care institutions with consideration for families of origin, gender, socioeconomic status and type of institution.

Children in Need - A Study of Children in Institutional Homes in Ghana (Background to the Study)

Nana Araba Apt, Ebenezer Blavo, Stephen Wilson - Center for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana, 01 Apr 1998

This document provides background information to a study conducted on the situation of children in institutional homes in Ghana.

Children in Need - A Study of Children in Institutional Homes in Ghana

Nana Araba Apt, Ebenezer Blavo, Stephen Wilson - Center for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana, 01 Apr 1998

This study was intended to identify existing arrangements surrounding children’s presence in institutional settings, identify legislation that contributes to the institutionalization of children, and make policy recommendations in respect of the opportunities to improve existing arrangements.

Children in Need - A Study of Children in Institutional Homes in Ghana (Additional Information)

Nana Araba Apt, Ebenezer Blavo, Stephen Wilson - Center for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana, 01 Apr 1998

This document provides supplemental information to a study conducted on the situation of children in institutional homes in Ghana.