Building Communities of Support: From Residential Care to Family-Based Models

Over the past decade, care models supporting the protection of vulnerable minors—separated from their families of origin—have shifted toward enhancing care systems rooted in local communities and families ready to welcome them.

The shift from residential models (such as orphanages and community-based care) to smaller, more integrated solutions is driven by the awareness that institutions often fail to provide the necessary attention to the individualized needs of minors and rebuild the emotional warmth necessary for effective development and psychological well-being.

The main family-based models aim to promote the following:

• Support for the family of origin: Through programs to prevent family separation with financial, psychological, and social assistance.
• Foster Care: Temporary placement in a family to meet the child’s needs.
• Adoption: A permanent solution when returning to the biological family is not possible.
• Family homes: Small facilities that recreate an intimate environment and a family atmosphere, with a small number of residents and educators who become constant and significant reference points.

Towards Solidarity Communities Capable of Implementing Integrated Strategies:

The reflection that led to the decentralization of residential care toward the creation of a truly supportive community proposes family models that function through a local community increasingly equipped and organized according to the needs of minors. For this reason, the model can only be considered effective if supported by:

• Local Services: Inclusive and easily accessible schools, health centers, and recreational programs
• Peer Support Networks: Support groups for foster or biological parents in need
• Social Integration: Eliminating the stigma surrounding those who have lived in institutions by promoting a culture of acceptance.

What are the long-term effects of this choice?

Children raised in families tend to have better outcomes. They often develop healthier bonds with their primary caregivers, which lays the foundation for how the child will approach relationships throughout their lives. Children from families also show better outcomes in terms of physical growth, attention, brain development, and cognitive skills.

Proposing a plan that allows children to enjoy a balanced, healthy, and loving family model becomes an opportunity to explore and experiment with different family care models.

When choosing which care model and care plan to implement or propose, the primary consideration remains tied to the specific needs of each child and each family, since no single care model can meet the needs of all children.