Deinstitutionalization: a fraudulent concept and the resulting harm to child and family welfare services

The purpose of this paper is to reexamine the concept of deinstitutionalization as applied to children’s services and to map the challenges and harm this concept has done to services for children. Originally raised in relation to the closing or reductions of asylums and mental hospitals in the 1930s, the concept was articulated by the Stockholm Declaration on Children’s Residential Care. Deinstitutionalization remains a prominent concept in many policy circles, but unfortunately, it is primarily framed and evaluated solely in terms of cost saving. The unintended consequences of deinstitutionalization include children and families being underserved in overburdened and undeveloped community-based services and increases in homeless and juvenile justice populations. It is in the best interest of the child, family, and community to provide effective care. Effective care is the right care, in the right setting, at the right time. This is best accomplished by including residential care in the service array available to children and families.