ABSTRACT
The remit of children's homes and related residential units varies internationally. In many countries, orphanages still operate and care for infants and young children in the absence of care alternatives. In other systems, these can be large settings mixing children as young as six years with teenagers. There are also intermediate provisions, such as the SOS Children's Villages for small groups of children with an allocated carer. This chapter explains that young people in residential care are often characterized by the: previous placement breakdowns; repeated rejections and secondary difficulties while in the care system; entrenched behavioral and emotional problems; longstanding patterns of attachment relationship difficulties with peers and adults; likelihood of risk-taking behaviors, such as aggression, drug and alcohol use, or unprotected sex; a range of vulnerabilities to sexual exploitation, bullying, abuse and health conditions; and school exclusion and contacts with the judicial system, leading to higher rates of care leavers becoming homeless and replicating the cycle in adult life.
