**4. Adaptation and academic achievements of children and adolescents in RC**

The legislative changes that modernized the RC model near the end of the 20th century granted special relevance to children's and adolescents' social integration as a means to achieve the normalization of this collective and to prevent the perverse effects of

institutionalization and stigmatization that were produced in the past. Thus, the children began to go to the schools of the area with other boys and girls. This evidently had a positive effect on the normalization process. Thus, the school became the main normalized context for their development, of vital importance for the collective of children in RC (Berridge, 2007; Brodie, 2005; Goddard, 2000; Maclean & Connely, 2005; Martín, Muñoz & Pérez, 2011), and this is essentially due to the fact that the school can fulfill a large number of the needs of these minors. Firstly, a good adaptation to the school and good academic achievement will allow them to improve their qualifications, which will facilitate their social integration through the work market, thus interrupting the cycle of intergenerational reproduction of social exclusion that occurs in many cases (Vacca, 2008). On the other hand, as the school is a normalized context of formal and normative development, this offers the opportunity to learn to get on well both with adults and with peers, respecting the established rules. And lastly, it leads to the establishment of bonds, both with prosocial adults and providers of support—which has proven to be a key factor for socially disadvantaged minors (Baker, 2006; Cyrulnik, 2002; Lázaro, 2009; Martín & Dávila, 2008; Masten & Reed, 2002)—and also with peers—whose role in these minors' cognitive, emotional, social, and moral development is extremely important.

Residential Care as a Resource

of the Childhood Welfare System: Current Strengths and Future Challenges 147

& Courtney, 2011). The reason is that this population has been an invisible collective for society (Casas & Montserrat, 2009), so no attention has been paid to these worrisome data. Moreover, it has never been entirely clear which entity is responsible for all this: the educational administrations, those in charge of the childhood welfare system, or their coordination. Some positive experiences in the UK seem to show that, when working coordinately from both systems, the academic results of children and young people in RC

*Note*: A1: Having many friends; A2: Having few friends; A3: Getting on well with the teachers; A4: Not getting on well with the teachers; A5: Being nice to classmates; A6: Being nasty to classmates; A7: Being aggressive; A8: Being able to solve conflicts; A9: Knowing how to communicate with others; A10: Not knowing how to communicate with others; A11: Feeling superior to others; A12: Feeling inferior to others; A13: Always wanting to call attention; A14: Being a

A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12 A13 A14 A15

RC sample Normative sample

**Figure 3.** Behavioral profile of children in RC and children from a normative sample. ((Reproduced from "De la residencia a la escuela: la integración social de los menores en acogimiento residencial con el grupo de iguales en el contexto escolar" of E. Martín, M. C. Muñoz, T. Rodríguez and Y. Pérez, Psicothema 20(3), 376-382. Copyright: Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias)

mature person; A15: Being an immature person






0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

improve (Cameron *et al*., 2011; Maclean & Connelly, 2005).

The studies that have analyzed the academic situation of minors in RC show that this collective has higher rates of failure, academic delay, and school dropout than the rest of the population (Berridge, 2007; Cameron, Hollingworth & Jackson, 2011; Casas & Montserrat, 2009; Stone, 2007; Trout, Hagaman, Casey, Reid & Epstein, 2008). This problem is attributed to three main causes (Martín, Muñoz, Rodríguez & Pérez, 2008). Firstly, the prior situation of maltreatment can provoke a series of deficiencies in the cognitive, emotional, and social development that hinders their adjustment to the academic and relational demands of the school (Anthonysamy & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2007; Leiter, 2007). Martín *et al*. (2008) analyzed 60 classrooms in which children in RC were studying. They used a scale of perceptive attribute assignation and found that the children in RC were perceived by their classmates as not getting on well with the teachers, being more aggressive, and calling attention to themselves more often (see Figure 3). This behavioral profile impairs relations both with peers and with teachers, and therefore it becomes a risk factor that can cause maladjustment and school dropout (Martín & Muñoz de Bustillo, 2009; Martín *et al*. (2011).

Secondly, the frequent changes of locations that usually occur while the minor is under the guardianship of public administrations also involve changing schools, which does not facilitate a good academic adjustment (Trout *et al*., 2008). And lastly, the RC programs prioritize therapeutic goals over educational goals, which, in many cases, means they cannot dedicate the necessary resources (time, personnel, materials, coordination with tutors, etc.) that are required to improve the academic situation of minors in RC (Harker, Dobel-Ober, Lawrence, Berridge & Sinclair, 2003; Linsey & Foley, 1999).

These problems have gone unnoticed until a very short time ago, when studies that analyze the transition from the welfare system to independence have begun to appear (Stein, Ward & Courtney, 2011). The reason is that this population has been an invisible collective for society (Casas & Montserrat, 2009), so no attention has been paid to these worrisome data. Moreover, it has never been entirely clear which entity is responsible for all this: the educational administrations, those in charge of the childhood welfare system, or their coordination. Some positive experiences in the UK seem to show that, when working coordinately from both systems, the academic results of children and young people in RC improve (Cameron *et al*., 2011; Maclean & Connelly, 2005).

146 Child Abuse and Neglect – A Multidimensional Approach

development is extremely important.

institutionalization and stigmatization that were produced in the past. Thus, the children began to go to the schools of the area with other boys and girls. This evidently had a positive effect on the normalization process. Thus, the school became the main normalized context for their development, of vital importance for the collective of children in RC (Berridge, 2007; Brodie, 2005; Goddard, 2000; Maclean & Connely, 2005; Martín, Muñoz & Pérez, 2011), and this is essentially due to the fact that the school can fulfill a large number of the needs of these minors. Firstly, a good adaptation to the school and good academic achievement will allow them to improve their qualifications, which will facilitate their social integration through the work market, thus interrupting the cycle of intergenerational reproduction of social exclusion that occurs in many cases (Vacca, 2008). On the other hand, as the school is a normalized context of formal and normative development, this offers the opportunity to learn to get on well both with adults and with peers, respecting the established rules. And lastly, it leads to the establishment of bonds, both with prosocial adults and providers of support—which has proven to be a key factor for socially disadvantaged minors (Baker, 2006; Cyrulnik, 2002; Lázaro, 2009; Martín & Dávila, 2008; Masten & Reed, 2002)—and also with peers—whose role in these minors' cognitive, emotional, social, and moral

The studies that have analyzed the academic situation of minors in RC show that this collective has higher rates of failure, academic delay, and school dropout than the rest of the population (Berridge, 2007; Cameron, Hollingworth & Jackson, 2011; Casas & Montserrat, 2009; Stone, 2007; Trout, Hagaman, Casey, Reid & Epstein, 2008). This problem is attributed to three main causes (Martín, Muñoz, Rodríguez & Pérez, 2008). Firstly, the prior situation of maltreatment can provoke a series of deficiencies in the cognitive, emotional, and social development that hinders their adjustment to the academic and relational demands of the school (Anthonysamy & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2007; Leiter, 2007). Martín *et al*. (2008) analyzed 60 classrooms in which children in RC were studying. They used a scale of perceptive attribute assignation and found that the children in RC were perceived by their classmates as not getting on well with the teachers, being more aggressive, and calling attention to themselves more often (see Figure 3). This behavioral profile impairs relations both with peers and with teachers, and therefore it becomes a risk factor that can cause maladjustment

Secondly, the frequent changes of locations that usually occur while the minor is under the guardianship of public administrations also involve changing schools, which does not facilitate a good academic adjustment (Trout *et al*., 2008). And lastly, the RC programs prioritize therapeutic goals over educational goals, which, in many cases, means they cannot dedicate the necessary resources (time, personnel, materials, coordination with tutors, etc.) that are required to improve the academic situation of minors in RC (Harker, Dobel-Ober,

These problems have gone unnoticed until a very short time ago, when studies that analyze the transition from the welfare system to independence have begun to appear (Stein, Ward

and school dropout (Martín & Muñoz de Bustillo, 2009; Martín *et al*. (2011).

Lawrence, Berridge & Sinclair, 2003; Linsey & Foley, 1999).

*Note*: A1: Having many friends; A2: Having few friends; A3: Getting on well with the teachers; A4: Not getting on well with the teachers; A5: Being nice to classmates; A6: Being nasty to classmates; A7: Being aggressive; A8: Being able to solve conflicts; A9: Knowing how to communicate with others; A10: Not knowing how to communicate with others; A11: Feeling superior to others; A12: Feeling inferior to others; A13: Always wanting to call attention; A14: Being a mature person; A15: Being an immature person

**Figure 3.** Behavioral profile of children in RC and children from a normative sample. ((Reproduced from "De la residencia a la escuela: la integración social de los menores en acogimiento residencial con el grupo de iguales en el contexto escolar" of E. Martín, M. C. Muñoz, T. Rodríguez and Y. Pérez, Psicothema 20(3), 376-382. Copyright: Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias)

But we must not only consider the merely curricular and qualification aspects that the educational system can provide to these children. This can help them achieve a good occupational insertion, and, thereby, socioeconomic integration when they leave the childhood welfare system, as most of them will either have to become independent or else return to the family from which they had to be separated for their own protection. School can also play an essential role in the compensating intervention that must be carried out with these children. Firstly, the school enables better cognitive development, which can help the children to understand their personal situation and to integrate it adaptively into their life story (Cyrulnik, 2002). Sometimes, the adults in charge are unaware of children's difficulties to understand and interpret the experiences—many of them terrible—that they have undergone. The fact that children do not ask questions about it or show signs of being upset does not mean that they are not suffering.

Residential Care as a Resource

of the Childhood Welfare System: Current Strengths and Future Challenges 149

not conceal its many strengths and the solutions it provides to many children and adolescents. The first aspect that must be clarified is that, nowadays, RC is necessary because there are not enough foster families available, and because the preventive work carried out is not enough to prevent situations of vulnerability. The term "last resort" has been used to refer to the last alternative to which one turns (Hellinckx, 2002). The reality is that it is very often not the last resort but the only one, and it is therefore necessary to

1.- One of the arguments habitually heard is that the educators and other workers in RC cannot fulfill functions that correspond to the children's' parents. This is true; foster parents do not take the place of the biological parents if work is being carried out with the children and the family in a family reunification program. The most we could say is that RC will never be a family home, although it can be very similar. The principle of normalization facilitated the integration of supervised homes in the community, and currently, many of them are flats in residential buildings. The educators cannot and should not be parents, but they can become reference adults for the children, giving them what their own parents could not give them, at least temporarily. This is important because it can become a factor that promotes resilience in these children. Martín and González (2007) studied the quality of the care that the children received in supervised homes by interviewing the children. They discovered that the factor with the highest association to quality care was the relation established with the educators. Allusions such as *the educators love me, the educators help me, they listen to me*, etc. indicate that, for the children in RC, having the educators as reference adults is of vital importance for their quality of life. The professionalization and technicality of the figure of the educators, which has been positive, should not be incompatible with their establishing affective bonds with the children. This is necessary and it is very often not promoted, erroneously thinking that this could cause some kind of conflict of loyalty and role confusion in the children about the adults who are a part of their lives. If one is clear when informing the child, there should be no conflict or confusion. Also, the more extensive

2.- We would like to emphasize that entering RC can also be an opportunity to enrich the children's social support network Not only because the children relate to other RC children and to the staff, but also because the promotion of out-of-school and community activities which many of their biological families could not afford—help the children to get to know their peers in diverse settings, and adults who will become part of their social network. This variable is recognized as one of the most important to improve the quality of life of these children, as it has a direct impact on their adaptation (Martín & Dávila, 2008). Such aspects should not go unnoticed, and we must work towards the achievement of these goals, taking the differences as a function of the children's developmental stage into account. For instance, it is more important for the smaller children to have available adults than for the adolescents, for whom the peer network is more relevant (Del Valle, Bravo & López, 2010; Martín, 2011). In the same vein, the creation of emancipation flats and residences for adolescents who are almost of age, where several of them could live together, not only facilitates their acquisition of the basic skills for independence, but also allows them to

analyze its possibilities. These strengths are:

the child's network of adults, the better (Martín & Dávila, 2008).

Secondly, school enables the children in RC to relate to prosocial adults who can become their reference adults. Martín and Dávila (2008) found that the affective bond with adults outside of the family setting has a positive impact on the adaptation and adjustment of children who were in RC. The need for unconditional support from an adult is acknowledged from developmental psychology, and all the more so for these children, who were deprived of adult figures in the family setting. The same can be said about their peers. Their contribution to the cognitive, affective, social, and moral development is essential for these children due to the important compensatory role they play (Gauze, Bukowski, Aquan-Asse & Sippola, 1996; Masten & Reed, 2002).

## **5. Strengths of RC as a resource of the childhood welfare system**

Being the resource of childhood welfare that has attended the greatest number of children and adolescents in a situation of vulnerability, and perhaps precisely because of this, RC is habitually questioned both from academic and political spheres. A social discourse has emerged that argues the need for RC to disappear for two essential reasons. One is that all children in a situation of vulnerability should be provided with a family that protects them and cares for them. The other is that to grow up within RC resources can have sequelae on the children's development, especially in the younger children. The latter argument has already been discussed in previous sections and, although it is true that there have been many such cases—especially in the past—if RC currently works well, this should not occur. In fact, RC can become a therapeutic setting in which to work on the problems that caused the family situation and the neglect in the first place. The former argument, that all children should grow up in a family, is a consensus we have all reached: politicians, professionals, and investigators. But this is not enough to close down all the supervised homes. In Spain, we have legislative initiatives of this sort that, if not accompanied with other resources, such as the creation of a good pool of foster families, will only reflect good intentions.

But the fact that we all reached this consensus and that we should begin to set the foundations so this can happen in the future does not necessarily mean that RC should disappear as a welfare resource. This "satanization" to which it is so often submitted should not conceal its many strengths and the solutions it provides to many children and adolescents. The first aspect that must be clarified is that, nowadays, RC is necessary because there are not enough foster families available, and because the preventive work carried out is not enough to prevent situations of vulnerability. The term "last resort" has been used to refer to the last alternative to which one turns (Hellinckx, 2002). The reality is that it is very often not the last resort but the only one, and it is therefore necessary to analyze its possibilities. These strengths are:

148 Child Abuse and Neglect – A Multidimensional Approach

upset does not mean that they are not suffering.

Asse & Sippola, 1996; Masten & Reed, 2002).

But we must not only consider the merely curricular and qualification aspects that the educational system can provide to these children. This can help them achieve a good occupational insertion, and, thereby, socioeconomic integration when they leave the childhood welfare system, as most of them will either have to become independent or else return to the family from which they had to be separated for their own protection. School can also play an essential role in the compensating intervention that must be carried out with these children. Firstly, the school enables better cognitive development, which can help the children to understand their personal situation and to integrate it adaptively into their life story (Cyrulnik, 2002). Sometimes, the adults in charge are unaware of children's difficulties to understand and interpret the experiences—many of them terrible—that they have undergone. The fact that children do not ask questions about it or show signs of being

Secondly, school enables the children in RC to relate to prosocial adults who can become their reference adults. Martín and Dávila (2008) found that the affective bond with adults outside of the family setting has a positive impact on the adaptation and adjustment of children who were in RC. The need for unconditional support from an adult is acknowledged from developmental psychology, and all the more so for these children, who were deprived of adult figures in the family setting. The same can be said about their peers. Their contribution to the cognitive, affective, social, and moral development is essential for these children due to the important compensatory role they play (Gauze, Bukowski, Aquan-

**5. Strengths of RC as a resource of the childhood welfare system** 

as the creation of a good pool of foster families, will only reflect good intentions.

But the fact that we all reached this consensus and that we should begin to set the foundations so this can happen in the future does not necessarily mean that RC should disappear as a welfare resource. This "satanization" to which it is so often submitted should

Being the resource of childhood welfare that has attended the greatest number of children and adolescents in a situation of vulnerability, and perhaps precisely because of this, RC is habitually questioned both from academic and political spheres. A social discourse has emerged that argues the need for RC to disappear for two essential reasons. One is that all children in a situation of vulnerability should be provided with a family that protects them and cares for them. The other is that to grow up within RC resources can have sequelae on the children's development, especially in the younger children. The latter argument has already been discussed in previous sections and, although it is true that there have been many such cases—especially in the past—if RC currently works well, this should not occur. In fact, RC can become a therapeutic setting in which to work on the problems that caused the family situation and the neglect in the first place. The former argument, that all children should grow up in a family, is a consensus we have all reached: politicians, professionals, and investigators. But this is not enough to close down all the supervised homes. In Spain, we have legislative initiatives of this sort that, if not accompanied with other resources, such 1.- One of the arguments habitually heard is that the educators and other workers in RC cannot fulfill functions that correspond to the children's' parents. This is true; foster parents do not take the place of the biological parents if work is being carried out with the children and the family in a family reunification program. The most we could say is that RC will never be a family home, although it can be very similar. The principle of normalization facilitated the integration of supervised homes in the community, and currently, many of them are flats in residential buildings. The educators cannot and should not be parents, but they can become reference adults for the children, giving them what their own parents could not give them, at least temporarily. This is important because it can become a factor that promotes resilience in these children. Martín and González (2007) studied the quality of the care that the children received in supervised homes by interviewing the children. They discovered that the factor with the highest association to quality care was the relation established with the educators. Allusions such as *the educators love me, the educators help me, they listen to me*, etc. indicate that, for the children in RC, having the educators as reference adults is of vital importance for their quality of life. The professionalization and technicality of the figure of the educators, which has been positive, should not be incompatible with their establishing affective bonds with the children. This is necessary and it is very often not promoted, erroneously thinking that this could cause some kind of conflict of loyalty and role confusion in the children about the adults who are a part of their lives. If one is clear when informing the child, there should be no conflict or confusion. Also, the more extensive the child's network of adults, the better (Martín & Dávila, 2008).

2.- We would like to emphasize that entering RC can also be an opportunity to enrich the children's social support network Not only because the children relate to other RC children and to the staff, but also because the promotion of out-of-school and community activities which many of their biological families could not afford—help the children to get to know their peers in diverse settings, and adults who will become part of their social network. This variable is recognized as one of the most important to improve the quality of life of these children, as it has a direct impact on their adaptation (Martín & Dávila, 2008). Such aspects should not go unnoticed, and we must work towards the achievement of these goals, taking the differences as a function of the children's developmental stage into account. For instance, it is more important for the smaller children to have available adults than for the adolescents, for whom the peer network is more relevant (Del Valle, Bravo & López, 2010; Martín, 2011). In the same vein, the creation of emancipation flats and residences for adolescents who are almost of age, where several of them could live together, not only facilitates their acquisition of the basic skills for independence, but also allows them to strengthen their peer support network, which they can retain when leaving the welfare system.

Residential Care as a Resource

of the Childhood Welfare System: Current Strengths and Future Challenges 151

the families, teaching them how to take on parental responsibilities, and learn educational skills and childhood care. Martín, Torbay *et al*. (2008) found that, in many cases, separation not only did not harm the minor's bond to the family, but it even strengthened it. Let us not forget that there are cases in which a short "breathing space" of separation is necessary, especially concerning adolescents, in which RC is valid. These authors also found that, when the RC professionals work cooperatively with the family, there is a considerable increase in the benefits for the children's development produced by their stay in RC. We underline that RC and family are not incompatible concepts. On the contrary, if one works adequately,

**6. Current and future challenges for the improvement of residential care** 

Till now, we have seen the role played by RC within the childhood welfare system. This resource—criticized and questioned for a long time from diverse instances, usually because of erroneous beliefs and ignorance— has an unfair negative image, because it has many strengths to attend childhood, especially certain collectives and in certain cases. In the former section, we briefly mentioned these strengths. But there are also a series of deficiencies, which should become challenges for improvement, and which we cannot ignore or adopt a complacent position in the face of the aforementioned critical current.

1.- As commented upon above, the problems of adaptation and academic performance of the children and adolescents in RC. In this collective, many of the children reach RC after long periods of truancy, due to the sequelae of maltreatment, or because their parents were uninterested in their children's education. That is, the children already arrive at RC with academic delay. What is really worrisome is that the welfare system does not offset this delay, or it actually impairs its compensation. Firstly, it is not always possible for the children to remain in their original schools, and, moreover, they sometimes change schools several times, as often as the measures adopted for their cases are changed. Thus, sadly enough, some children go to various schools, undergoing changes that do not always coincide with the end and the beginning of the school year. We must find formulas within the welfare system to minimize this harm caused by the welfare system itself. However, there are few experiences of coordination between the welfare and the educational systems, beyond the tutorship visits, which are also attended by the educators who are in charge of the children. Not only the welfare system, but the entire society is responsible for childhood protection. It is necessary for other administrations to take responsibility in order to efficiently deal with the academic problems of children and adolescents in RC. Secondly, the history of RC has made it a context in which therapeutic features have priority over the psychoeducational ones, so that, in many cases, the RC staff does not correctly value the academic aspect. Although therapeutic intervention is necessary, and daily life often makes it impossible to dedicate time to educational goals, a change in this direction is nevertheless necessary. Moreover, from psychology educational, it has been proved that children's motivation for school increases if their parents value it and show interest We must assume

they provide mutual support in benefit of the child.

Without meaning to be exhaustive, these challenges are as follows:

3.- With regard to the above, we must analyze the role played by groups of siblings. The proportion of children who enter the welfare system alone is relatively low, and it is more habitual to declare groups of siblings—sometimes quite numerous—to be in a situation of vulnerability. The diverse handbooks of quality standards and legislative proposals defend the idea of keeping groups of siblings together while they are under the guardianship of the competent administrations. This allows maintaining the bonds among them and facilitates the work of family reunification programs, as it allows them to organize family visits and meetings of the children with their families and with the family intervention teams. Although the results of the research analyzing the benefits of living with their siblings for RC children's development are neither overwhelming nor very clear (Davidson & Klein, 2011), it is nevertheless the most logical and desirable option. And it must be acknowledged that, in most of these cases, RC is the only available resource. The larger the number of siblings, the more difficult it is to find a foster home, or even an adoptive home, because the groups of siblings may comprise small children and adolescents, which makes it economically costly and complicates adjusting well to a new family. Therefore, it must be admitted that if siblings should remain together in RC, then it is necessary and even recommendable to maintain this resource.

4.- One advantage of RC that it is more widely acknowledged is that it allows the children who have lived in destructured families, where there was no schedule and no rules, to live in a structured setting. The same can be said about a foster family. One of the basic needs of childhood is the acquisition of a system of rules and values. The RC fulfills these needs adequately, and even allows intensive and therapeutic work that may offset this developmental deficit of the children who are admitted into RC. In the cases of children who have suffered greater emotional, cognitive, and behavioral sequelae, this intensive work is essential, even before the first step towards foster care or adoption can be taken. If these children go directly to another family without prior work in RC, the foster care is considerably more likely to fail. This is related to the fact that RC has become increasingly specialized in caring for specific collectives: minors with behavioral and mental health problems, unaccompanied immigrant minors, etc., profiles that are very difficult to accommodate in foster families.

5.- One of the erroneous ideas that persists in many sectors of society is that children's admittance into RC implies their total separation from the family. This is only true in those cases in which contact with the family implies considerable risk for the minor. Fortunately, this does not occur in most cases. The goal of separation is to protect the children and fulfill their needs, but not to break bonds. In many cases, the goal is family reunification, and in the meantime, the children are in RC and the professionals work with the families. In these cases, there is a visiting schedule, either in the RC itself or in other specified places, or the children even spend the weekends with their families. These programs are not only to maintain family bonds but also so that the family intervention professionals can work with the families, teaching them how to take on parental responsibilities, and learn educational skills and childhood care. Martín, Torbay *et al*. (2008) found that, in many cases, separation not only did not harm the minor's bond to the family, but it even strengthened it. Let us not forget that there are cases in which a short "breathing space" of separation is necessary, especially concerning adolescents, in which RC is valid. These authors also found that, when the RC professionals work cooperatively with the family, there is a considerable increase in the benefits for the children's development produced by their stay in RC. We underline that RC and family are not incompatible concepts. On the contrary, if one works adequately, they provide mutual support in benefit of the child.

150 Child Abuse and Neglect – A Multidimensional Approach

recommendable to maintain this resource.

accommodate in foster families.

system.

strengthen their peer support network, which they can retain when leaving the welfare

3.- With regard to the above, we must analyze the role played by groups of siblings. The proportion of children who enter the welfare system alone is relatively low, and it is more habitual to declare groups of siblings—sometimes quite numerous—to be in a situation of vulnerability. The diverse handbooks of quality standards and legislative proposals defend the idea of keeping groups of siblings together while they are under the guardianship of the competent administrations. This allows maintaining the bonds among them and facilitates the work of family reunification programs, as it allows them to organize family visits and meetings of the children with their families and with the family intervention teams. Although the results of the research analyzing the benefits of living with their siblings for RC children's development are neither overwhelming nor very clear (Davidson & Klein, 2011), it is nevertheless the most logical and desirable option. And it must be acknowledged that, in most of these cases, RC is the only available resource. The larger the number of siblings, the more difficult it is to find a foster home, or even an adoptive home, because the groups of siblings may comprise small children and adolescents, which makes it economically costly and complicates adjusting well to a new family. Therefore, it must be admitted that if siblings should remain together in RC, then it is necessary and even

4.- One advantage of RC that it is more widely acknowledged is that it allows the children who have lived in destructured families, where there was no schedule and no rules, to live in a structured setting. The same can be said about a foster family. One of the basic needs of childhood is the acquisition of a system of rules and values. The RC fulfills these needs adequately, and even allows intensive and therapeutic work that may offset this developmental deficit of the children who are admitted into RC. In the cases of children who have suffered greater emotional, cognitive, and behavioral sequelae, this intensive work is essential, even before the first step towards foster care or adoption can be taken. If these children go directly to another family without prior work in RC, the foster care is considerably more likely to fail. This is related to the fact that RC has become increasingly specialized in caring for specific collectives: minors with behavioral and mental health problems, unaccompanied immigrant minors, etc., profiles that are very difficult to

5.- One of the erroneous ideas that persists in many sectors of society is that children's admittance into RC implies their total separation from the family. This is only true in those cases in which contact with the family implies considerable risk for the minor. Fortunately, this does not occur in most cases. The goal of separation is to protect the children and fulfill their needs, but not to break bonds. In many cases, the goal is family reunification, and in the meantime, the children are in RC and the professionals work with the families. In these cases, there is a visiting schedule, either in the RC itself or in other specified places, or the children even spend the weekends with their families. These programs are not only to maintain family bonds but also so that the family intervention professionals can work with
