Implications for Placement in Orphanages, Residential Care, and Group Homes

This article by Eric Rosenthal (opens new window) describes the right of all children to live and grow up in a family as it has evolved thirty years after the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and since the 2006 adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The article examines the implications of this right for the millions of children placed in orphanages, residential care, and group homes around the world. The CRC favors the protection of children to live with a family, but it does allow for the placement of children in “suitable institutions” when families are unavailable.