Perspectives of young people in residential care on their multilocal residency settings

Abstract

Background: In the field of child and youth care research, our understanding of the living conditions of young people in care is limited. Specifically, previous research has overlooked the fact that many children and young people in residential care may have multiple residences, in addition to their placement.

Research questions: In order to fill this gap in research, our study draws on two theoretical frameworks – the Personal Life Theory developed by Carole Smart in 2007 and the perspective on housing as a complex social and pedagogical issue put forth by Miriam Meuth in 2018. The objective of the research is to examine the living arrangements and evaluations of (multiple) residences by young individuals in residential care. Therefore, the following research questions were addressed: (1) What specific living arrangements do young people in residential care have? (2) How do they evaluate their place(s) of residence in terms of emotional, physical and activity dimensions? (3) How do the various residential settings differ in the perspective of the young people?

Methods: Drawing on a quantitative cross-sectional research design, young people living in residential care settings in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were invited to participate in an online survey that included innovative scales to measure their multiple residency settings. The final sample consisted of 563 young people from 90 different organizations and 15 cantons. Descriptive statistics and analyses of variance were used to answer the research questions.

Results: The results show that only 17 percent of respondents live exclusively in a residential care facility. 45 percent live in one additional place, and another 38 percent live in two or more additional places (e.g., with parents, relatives, or friends). While the ratings of their places of residence varied significantly by location, residential care facilities were rated lowest on all three emotional, physical, and activity dimensions.

Conclusions: This study is the first to use a quantitative approach to empirically illustrate Smart and Meuth's arguments. The results show that many young people, particularly those living in residential care, do indeed feel attached to multiple places of residence. Therefore, in order to better identify and address the different types of disadvantages faced by young people in residential care, the findings can provide valuable suggestions for improving residential care services as a specific place of residence. Our presentations conclusion will discuss further implications for both theoretical research and practical applications in the field of out of home care.