The Subjective Well-Being of Portuguese Children in Foster Care, Residential Care and Children Living with their Families: Challenges and Implications for a Child Care System Still Focused on Institutionalization

Abstract

Most studies with children in out-of-home care highlight the problems and challenges associated with residential or foster care, and few have investigated the well-being of these children. The aim of this study is to compare the subjective well-being (SWB) of children hosted in institutions and in foster families with the well-being of children living with their families. We used a sample of 422 children, aged between 11 and 15, being 39 in foster care, 145 in residential care, and 238 living with their families in the general population. We measured SWB with the Personal Well-being Index-School Children (PWI-SC9) and we evaluated the impact of several variables in this index. Results indicate that children in residential care have a lower SWB in all variables compared to foster care and general populations groups. These outcomes should challenge children's public policies to change from a dominant positive attitude toward institutionalisation to a more successful approach based on foster care families. This approach will provide the opportunity for children in out-of-home care to grow up in a family, and improve their SWB, which can probably ensure a better life trajectory. Keywords: Children . Subjective well-being . Families . Foster care . Residential care 1 The Children's Subjective Well-BeingIt is possible to distinguish between three approaches to well-being (Parfit 1984). The first is based on objective lists of things that others think we need to achieve a good life.

Measurement invariance of the short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and latent mean differences (SWEMWBS) in young people by current care status

“…Our findings revealed that young people in all types of care reported significantly lower mental wellbeing scores than their peers of the same age not in care. This result is consistent with findings from previous studies testing wellbeing scores using traditional methods [17][18][19]. Research shows that developmentally specific factors including parents' availability and wellbeing, family relationships and interactions, quality of care, and supportive learning environments are critical for children's wellbeing [55].…”

“…While most young people in care in the UK report their experiences to be good [8], and report satisfaction with their life [9], there is clear evidence that those who have experienced care do not fare as well as the general population in relation to their physical health, cognitive and language skills [10], and mental health [11][12][13], which in turn can impact their development and journey to adulthood [14][15][16]. Studies have begun to investigate subjective wellbeing of children and young people in foster care in the UK [9], and foster and residential care internationally [17][18][19]. These studies have consistently identified lower levels of subjective wellbeing of those in care compared to their peers not in care, with those in residential care demonstrating the lowest levels of wellbeing.…”

Young Teenagers’ Views Regarding Residential Care in Portugal and Spain: A Qualitative Study

“…To have money, a job and a family was the major future aspiration for these children. They desired to change their lives and escape from their past, in line with other studies showing that children in residential care continue to be optimistic with regard to their future (e.g., Delgado et al 2019Delgado et al , 2020. Nevertheless, children in residential care have shown less satisfaction with school than children in foster care or in the general population (Delgado et al 2019) and are thus more likely to fail in school and drop out when compared to other children in care or in other vulnerable situations (Berridge et al 2020).…”

The Subjective Well-Being of Children in Residential Care: Has It Changed in Recent Years?

“…Delving deeper into the reasons that residential care is so prevalent, aside from the entry of young migrants who come alone, it should be noted that there are other factors associated with its ongoing implementation. On the one hand, socio-political efforts have been tame and, according to Delgado et al (2020), have lacked the conviction to reduce residential care and make foster care more widespread. Indeed, it is only recently that a legislative amendment has recommended that children under 6 years of age do not enter residential care (Act 26/2015).…”