Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Best Practices for Residential/Institutional/Group Care of Children: A Harm Reduction Framework

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Child Maltreatment in Residential Care

Abstract

Residential care, institutions, and group homes have been one of the main placement options for orphaned, abandoned, or vulnerable children (OAVC) for centuries. Many children in low- and medium-resource countries with underdeveloped child protection systems are living in residential settings. There is ample research available on the negative effects that institutional care has on the physical, cognitive, and developmental development of children. Informed by this evidence, there is growing global consensus on the need to promote family-based alternatives and end reliance on residential care as the primary option for children in need of protection. Yet, in the interim, until a range of family-based care options are secured for children, residential care will be a reality for many countries. It is the goal of this chapter to use a harm reduction framework to present policies and practices that can reduce the negative effects of residential care on children’s development. Improving institutional care so that it is less detrimental to children is a means to an end with the goal being the establishment of strong child protection systems. It is not the goal of this paper to justify nor promote residential care.

The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

Mother Theresa

The term residential care used in this chapter refers to the short-term or long-term placement of a child into any nonfamily-based care situation. Similar terms referring to institutionalization are residential care, group care, congregate care, or orphanage care. For the remainder of this paper, we will use the term residential care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, L. M., Shinn, C., Fullilove, M. T., Scrimshaw, S. C., Fielding, J. C., Norman, J., … The Task Force on Community Prevention Services (2003). The effectiveness of early childhood development programs: A systemic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 24(3S), 32–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bilson, A., & Harwin, J. (2003). Changing minds, policies and lives: Improving protection of children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, gatekeeping services for vulnerable children and families. Florence: UNICEF. Downloaded March 10, 2016 from http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/improving.pdf

  • Blackman, J. A. (2002). Early intervention: A global perspective. Infants and Young Children, 15(2), 11–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boris, N. W., Fueyo, M., & Zeanah, C. H. (1997). The clinical assessment of attachment in children less than five. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 291–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brossard, M., & DĂ©carie, T. G. (1971). The effects of three kinds of perceptual-social stimulation on the development of institutionalized infants. Early Childhood Development and Care, 1(1), 111–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne, K., & Mulheir, G. (2007). Deinstitutionalising and transforming children’s services: A guide to good practice. Retrieved 27 July 2016 from http://www.crin.org/en/docs/Deinstitutionaliation_Manual_-_Daphne_Prog_et_al.pdf

  • Carlson, E. A. (1998). A prospective longitudinal study of attachment disorganization/disorientation. Child Development, 69(4), 1107–1128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casler, L. (1965). The effects of extra tactile stimulation on a group of institutionalized infants. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 71, 137–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cusick, L. (2006). Widening the harm reduction agenda: From drug use to sex work. International Journal of Drug Policy, 17(1), 3–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalen, M. (1995). Learning difficulties among inter-country adopted children. Nordisk pedagogikk, 15(4), 195–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickens, J., & Groza, V. (2004). Empowerment in difficulty: A critical appraisal of international intervention in child welfare in Romania. International Social Work, 47(4), 469–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobrova-Krol, N. A., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Dobrova-Krol, N. A., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Cyr, C., & Juffer, F. (2008). Physical growth delays and stress dysregulation in stunted and non-stunted Ukrainian institution-reared children. Infant Behavior & Development, 31, 539–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dozier, M., Stovall, K. C., Albus, K. E., & Bates, B. (2001). Attachment for infants in foster care: The role of caregiver state of mind. Child Development, 72, 1467–1477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Family Health International, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, & UNICEF. (2009). Improving care options for children in Ethiopia through understanding institutional childcare and factors that drive institutionalizations. Received from Family Health International via email on April 10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gavrilovici, O., & Groza, V. (2007). Incidence, prevalence and trauma symptoms in institutionalization children. International Journal of Child and Family Welfare, 10(3/4), 125–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Groza, V., Ileana, D., & Irwin, I. (1999). A peacock or a crow: Stories, interviews and commentaries on Romanian adoptions. Cleveland, OH: Lakeshore Communications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Groza, V., Komarova, N., Galchinskaya, L., Gerasimova, A., & Volynets, L. (2010). Ukrainian adoptive families. International Social Work, 53(1), 19–31. doi:10.1177/0020872809348945.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groze, V. (1990). An exploratory investigation into institutional mistreatment. Children and Youth Services Review, 12, 229–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakimi-Manesh, Y., Mojdehi, H., & Tashakkori, A. (1984). Short communication: Effects on environmental enrichment on the mental and psychomotor development of orphanage children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25(4), 643–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermenau, K., Hecker, T., Elbert, T., & Ruf-Leuschner, M. (2014). Maltreatment and mental health in institutional care-comparing early and late institutionalized children in Tanzania. Infant Mental Health Journal, 35(2), 102–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard, C. (2008). Personal correspondence. Kampala, Uganda: Cure International.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Foster Care Organization, SOS Kinderdorf, International, FICE. (2007). Quality4Children standards for out-of-home child care in Europe. Retrieved August 2, 2016 from http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/getmedia/1b7397b9-ce47-41e0-8329-3c01a5496c6f/Q4C_colour.pdf

  • Julian, M., & McCall, R. B. (2009). The development of children within different alternative residential care environments. Unpublished manuscript, authors. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T. I., Shin, Y. H., & White-Traut, R. C. (2003). Multisensory intervention improves physical growth and illness rates in Korean orphaned newborn infants. Research in Nursing and Health, 26(6), 424–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenton, S., & Single, E. (1998). The definition of harm reduction. Drug and Alcohol Review, 17(2), 213–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Llorente, M. A. G., Charlebois, L. M., Ducci, V., & Farias, A. M. (2003). Children in institutions: The beginning of the end? The cases of Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Florence: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Republic of Rwanda (MIGEPROF) and Hope and Homes for Children. (2012). National survey of institutions for children in Rwanda. Retrieved August 2, 2016, from http://www.socialserviceworkforce.org/system/files/resource/files/NATIONAL%20SURVEY%20OF%20INSTITUTIONS%20FOR%20CHILDREN%20IN%20RWANDA_FINAL.pdf

  • Perez, L. M. (2008). Situation faced by institutionalized children and adolescents in shelters in Guatemala. Guatemala City, CA: USAID and Holt International Children Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Punaks, M., & Feit, K. (2014). Orphanage voluntourism in Nepal and its links to the displacement and unnecessary institutionalisation of children. Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond, 1(2), 179–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roeber, B. J., Tober, C. L., Bolt, D. M., & Pollak, S. D. (2012). Gross motor development in children adopted from orphanage settings. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 54(6), 527–531. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2012.04257.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rolon, M. L., Syvertsen, J. L., Robertson, A. M., Rangel, M. G., Martinez, G., Ulibarri, M. D., et al. (2013). The influence of having children on HIV-related risk behaviors of female sex workers and their intimate male partners in two Mexico–US border cities. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 59(3), 214–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosas, J., & McCall, R. B. (2009). Characteristics of institutions, interventions, and resident children’s development. University of Pittsburgh. Unpublished manuscript, received by email on January 16, 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, E., Bauer, E., Hyden, M. F., & Holley, A. (1999). Implementing the right to community integration for children with disabilities in Russia: A human rights framework for international action. Health and Human Rights, 4(1), 82–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rus, A. V., Stativa, E., Pennings, J. S., Cross, D. R., Ekas, N., Purvis, K. B., & Parris, S. R. (2013). Severe punishment of children by staff in Romanian placement centers for school-aged children: Effects of child and institutional characteristics. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(12), 1152–1162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sayegh, Y., & Dennis, W. (1965). The effects of supplementary experiences upon the behavioral development of infants in institutions. Child Development, 36, 811–890.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, M. A., Fox, N. A., Zeanah, C. H., McLaughlin, K. A., & Nelson, C. A. (2012). Variation in neural development as a result of exposure to institutionalization early in childhood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(32), 12927–12932. doi:10.1073/pnas.1200041109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyke, A. T., Dumitrescu, A., & Zeanah, C. H. (2002). Disturbances of attachment in Romanian children. I. The continuum of caretaking casualty. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 972–982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sundram, C. J. (1984). Obstacles to reducing patient abuse in public institutions. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 35, 238–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • The St. Petersburg – USA Orphanage Research Team. (2008). The effects of early social-emotional and relationship experience on the development of young orphanage children. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 73(3), vii–295. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5834.2008.00483.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tolfree, D. (2005). Facing the crisis-supporting children through positive care options. Save the Children UK. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from http://www.crin.org/docs/3306 FacingtheCrisis[1].pdf

  • United Nations (UN). (2006). United Nations secretary general’s study on violence against children. Retrieved July 27, 2016, from http://unviolencestudy.org/

  • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2008). Draft manual for the measurement of indicators for children in formal care. Retrieved March, from http://www.crin.org/docs/Formal%20Care%20Guide%20FINAL.pdf

  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children (UNCRC). (2007). Downloaded July 28, 2016, from http://childrensrights.ie/childrens-rights-ireland/un-convention-rights-child

  • United Nations Guidelines for the Appropriate Use and Conditions of Alternative Care for Children. (2010). Downloaded July 28, 2016 from http://www.unicef.org/protection/alternative_care_Guidelines-English.pdf

  • VanLandeghem, K., Curgins, D., & Abrams, M. (2002). Reasons and strategies for strengthening childhood development services in the healthcare system. Portland, ME: National Academy for State Health Policy. Retrieved August 2, 2016, from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/usr_doc/vanlandeghem_nashp_630.pdf

  • Whetten, K., Ostermann, J., Pence, B. W., Whetten, R. A., Messer, L. C., Ariely, S., … Eticha, M. (2014). Three-year change in the wellbeing of orphaned and separated children in institutional and family-based care settings in five low- and middle-income countries. PLoS ONE. Downloaded May 26, 2016, from http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0104872

  • Wolff, P. H., & Fesseha, G. (1998). The orphans of Eritrea: Are orphanages part of the problem or part of the solution? American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 1319–1324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, P. H., & Fesseha, G. (1999). The orphans of Eritrea: A five-year follow-up study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 1231–1237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeanah, C. H., Smyke, A. T., Koga, S., & Carlson, E. (2005). Attachment in institutionalized and community children in Romania. Child Development, 76(5), 1015–1028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7164, USA

    Victor Groza

  2. Maestral International, Nairobi, Kenya

    Kelley McCreery Bunkers

Authors
  1. Victor Groza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kelley McCreery Bunkers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Victor Groza .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, Oklahoma, USA

    Adrian V. Rus

  2. Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

    Sheri R. Parris

  3. Social Pediatrics and Obstetrics Research Department, National Institute for Mother and Child Health “Alessandrescu-Rusescu”, Bucuresti, Romania

    Ecaterina Stativa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Groza, V., Bunkers, K.M. (2017). Best Practices for Residential/Institutional/Group Care of Children: A Harm Reduction Framework. In: Rus, A., Parris, S., Stativa, E. (eds) Child Maltreatment in Residential Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57990-0_22

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57990-0_22

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57989-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57990-0

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation