Protecting children outside of family care in low and middle income countries: What does the evidence say?

Some of the most vulnerable children in the world are those living outside of family care – children without families to look after them; left in dysfunctional institutions or alone on the streets; victims of sex trafficking or pornography; trafficked for forced labour, or recruited for armed conflict.

Abstract

Numerous studies show the low academic levels of adolescents who are institutionalized in residential care facilities. Few adolescents who are or have been institutionalized in residential care are able to obtain a higher education degree, limiting their chances for a higher level of well-being and quality of life. The presence of this social group in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is extremely low. This article shows the results of research that reveals the impact of a successful educational action, such as extending learning time for institutionalized adolescents who live in residential care. Extended learning time activities, in out of school program, were conducted as scientific workshops and facilitated by university professors and researchers from different scientific disciplines. Data showed an improvement in adolescents' content knowledge, educational aspirations and scientific vocations. Those experiences modified participants' perceptions of their academic and professional expectations, transforming their vision of their future. This research was conducted using a communicative methodology with 12 adolescents from 12 to 17 years old who lived in residential care.