Examining the family belonging of adults with institutional care experience in childhood

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the sense of family belonging of individuals with childhood institutional care experience through personal details, institutional care, and post-institutional-care variables. Conducted with 313 adults with institutional care experience during childhood, the study revealed family belonging is related to gender, marital, educational, and employment status, age, and reason for being taken into institutional care, if exposed to abuse and its type, people with whom they live after the institution, medical/psychiatric support status, and whether there is a person to provide support. The results showed that professionals and policymakers working with adults with childhood institutional care experience should consider the importance of family belonging and related factors in institutional care and adaptation to life after, and understand the importance of transition to family- and community-based care services, which will benefit child welfare.

KEYWORDS:

• institutional care
• family
• family belonging
• child protection
• childhood

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for this research and publication.

Notes on contributors

Figen Pasli

Figen Paslı, Ph. D. she undergratuate from Hacettepe University, Department of Social Work. She completed her master’s degree in Ankara University, Department of Interdisciplinary Social Psychiatry and she completed her PhD in Hacettepe University, Department of Social Work. She is working as a faculty member in Kocaeli University Faculty of Health Sciences Social Work Department.

Hüsnünur Aslantürk

Hüsnünur Aslantürk, Ph.D. she undergratuate from Hacettepe University, Department of Social Work. She completed her master’s degree in Afyon Kocatepe University, Department of Sociology and completed her PhD in Selçuk University, Department of Social Work. She is working as a faculty member in Anadolu University Faculty of Health Sciences Social Work Department.