Listen to this
At a recent gathering of Child and Youth Care colleagues in Monaghan, Ireland, one of the main points of discussion was the renewed enthusiasm of some influential groupings in their calls for the ending of all residential care.
In Child and Youth Care, the concept of family is broad and dynamic, be it biological family (blood relatives ie. parents, siblings and other relatives connected by blood); chosen family (those who provide emotional and therapeutic support, and a sense of belonging, like close friends, mentors, or members of the broader community); cultural family (in many cultures, family includes elders, clans, or entire communities that collectively contribute to a child’s upbringing), and foster and adoptive families (integral in providing care and stability for children unable to live with biological relatives).
Just as important are the roles of family. Families are the primary caregivers, the first source of support, connection and socialisation for children. Families are partners in the care process and essential for creating support consistency for children in care. Families provide an environment where children’s total development is nurtured.
So it’s clear that family far transcends traditional (and quite old-fashioned) definitions to include a variety of relationships and structures, as well the dynamic nature of family and the interconnectedness of family members. Changes in one part of the family can affect the entire family, impacting the balance and adaptability of family stability.
But we know all this stuff already, don’t we? It seems not.
If we are to believe what we read in reports of some influential and connected organisations, no good can come from children living in residential care. Just one example is the recent report by UNICEF (highlighted in Bruce Henderson’s article in last month’s edition of CYC-Online) titled “Keeping families together in Europe. The goal: By 2030, zero children in institutional care in Europe. Every child has the right to grow up in a nurturing family environment.” Huh? (Double take). Since when has growing up in residential care and a nurturing family environment been mutually exclusive? (Even the most basic research delivers evidence to the contrary). Surely all that matters is the quality of the care that children in care are receiving, not where they receive it.
Those who work with children and youth in care recognise that family, in whatever form it takes, plays a critical role in the development and well-being of children and youth in care. By acknowledging the fluid and diverse nature of family, Child and Youth Care practitioners aim to empower families as essential partners in fostering the well-being of children and youth.
Institutional care (just like foster care or kinship care) is not for all children. But that does not mean that children cannot thrive in a residential care family. To suggest otherwise is privileged, disingenuous and misleading.
