Previous research in residential childcare institutions (RCI) has focused primarily on child populations. While reaching the age of majority typically signals the end of childhood institutionalization, age restrictions often deny older, socially disadvantaged teenagers the opportunity to transition seamlessly into adulthood. To investigate the relationships that are fostered within transitional environments, we interviewed 24 male and residents housed in five “transitional centers” (TC) in Armenia in June 2024. Our results indicate that the nurturing relationships and intimate bonds fostered between and among residents and facility directors are critical for young adults whose adolescence was marked by abandonment, poverty, trauma, and strained familial relationships. Our findings suggest that Armenia’s TC offer a critical bridge between adolescence and adulthood and provide an environment within which socially vulnerable young adults can repair formative bonds to help them prepare for emotional, financial, and intellectual independence. Countries with orphan populations should consider integrating a TC component into their continuum of care to assure that their most vulnerable child populations receive support throughout young adulthood.
References
[1]
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (1989). https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child
[2]
Dozier, M., Zeanah, C. H., Wallin, A. R., & Shauffer, C. (2012). Institutional Care for Young Children: Review of Literature and Policy Implications. Social Issues and Policy Review, 6, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-2409.2011.01033.x
[3]
Gubrium, J. F., & Sankar, A. (1994). Qualitative Methods in Ageing Research. Sage Publications.
[4]
Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children (GACC) (2010). https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/673583?v=pdf
[5]
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation (4th ed.). Jossey Bass.
[6]
Mouton, J., & Marais, H. C. (1990). Basic Concepts in Methodology of the Social Sciences. HSRC.
[7]
Rosenthal, E. (2019). The Right of All Children to Grow up with a Family under International Law: Implications for Placement in Orphanages, Residential Care, and Group Homes. Buffalo Human Rights Law Review, 25, Article 6.
[8]
Yacoubian, G. (2021). Deinstitutionalization, Family Reunification, and the “Best Interests of the Child”: An Examination of Armenia’s Child Protection Obligations under Conventional International Law. Pace International Law Review, 33, Article 1. https://doi.org/10.58948/2331-3536.1407
[9]
Yacoubian, G. (2022a). An Assessment of Armenia’s Residential Childcare Institutions as a Case Study in International Child Protection. Advances in Applied Sociology,12, 338-345. https://doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2022.127026
[10]
Yacoubian, G. (2022b). Toward a Theory of Permanent Environmental Reassignment for Residential Childcare: A Comprehensive Research Agenda for the 21st Century. International Journal of Social Science Studies,10, 52-61. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v10i6.5716
[11]
Yacoubian, G., & Bardakjian, L. (2022). Assessing the Perceived Familial Relationships of Orphaned Children Housed in Armenia’s Residential Childcare Institutions: Revisiting the “Best Interests of the Child” Standard in International Child Protection Law. World Affairs,26, 137-147.
[12]
Yacoubian, G., & Bardakjian, L. (2023). Prioritizing a Continuum of Care for Older Orphan Populations: A Qualitative Study from Two Transitional Centers in Armenia. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 11, 54-57. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v11i2.6049
[13]
Zeanah, C. H., Humphreys, K. L., Fox, N. A., & Nelson, C. A. (2017). Alternatives for Abandoned Children: Insights from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Current Opinion in Psychology,15, 182-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.024
