Antecedents to Child Placement in Residential Care: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Individual studies suggest most children and youth in residential care centres (RCCs) have living parents, and parental death is not the primary antecedent to placement in residential care. The goal of the present review was to examine the literature to better understand the primary antecedents to placement in RCCs overall. One hundred thirty-two studies, including 60,683 children in 47 nations meet eligibility criteria for inclusion for the overarching review of antecedents of placement. Primary information sources for this review were the Academic Search Complete, PubMed and ProQuest Central databases. Studies were included that reported on antecedents to placement for children living in RCCs for the purpose of care. Fourteen antecedent themes were identified from the literature. Regional trends for antecedents were assessed. Globally, the most frequent antecedents were parental death, maltreatment and health of children or parents. Understanding antecedents to placement is vital for preventing unnecessary separation of children from parental care, for facilitating appropriate family reintegration and for creation of the most appropriate and effective options for alternative care when necessary.

The Relationship Between Spirituality and Resilience and Well-being: a Study of 529 Care Leavers from 11 Nations

“…Care leavers are widely recognized as a vulnerable population (Berens & Nelson, 2015 ; Bondi et al, 2020 ; van Breda et al, 2020 ; Wilke et al, 2022 ). Research has consistently found that care leavers are more likely to have experienced high levels of adverse childhood experience (ACEs) and are at significantly greater risk for negative outcomes (Felitti et al, 1998 ; Simkiss, 2019 ).…”

Predictors of parental stress and family function one year after rapid unprepared return: A preliminary analysis from five nations

“…Research suggests reintegrations should be supported by thorough family assessment, child and family preparation, and a graduated approach to contact. Service providers should work with families to resolve concerns that preceded child placement in residential care prior to reintegration (Schrader-McMillan & Herrera, 2016; Wilke, et al, 2022). Further, all children and families experiencing reintegration should receive support and monitoring (Corcoran & Wakia, 2016).…”

Placement stability and family support after government-mandated rapid return: A two-year follow-up

“…However, the measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus, such as mandated social isolation, resulted in other consequences. As is often the case with systemic issues, those who were already vulnerable have been disproportionately affected (Hillis et al, 2021; Wilke et al, 2020b)…”

“…Research suggests that reintegration should be supported by thorough family assessments, preparations for both the child and family, and a gradual approach to contact and supervision (Delap & Wedge, 2016). Service providers should collaborate with families to address concerns that led to the child’s placement in residential care before reintegration (Jedwab et al, 2018; Schrader-McMillan & Herrera, 2016; Wilke et al, 2022b). Additionally, all children and families undergoing reintegration should receive support and monitoring (Corcoran & Wakia, 2016).…”