Residential Care for Children and Youth in a Cross-National Perspective

Chapter 1 sets the parameters for the editors’ view of “residential care for children and youth” and offers a working definition of the same viewed in the context of legal, administrative, and children’s rights within an organized child welfare system. The editors make clear the rationale for their choice of a range of countries with developed welfare systems, while acknowledging a far more diverse range of residential settings viewed in worldwide context. The contributors to this volume share a commitment to a high-quality, revitalized residential service sector grounded both in research and commonly shared values such as partnership with families and residential practice that is close to the rhythms of diverse and vital community life. This does not mean “one size fits all,” but rather that we can learn much from the often subtle ways in which culture and tradition create the niches within which residential services are formed, sustained, and changed.