The school situation for children and youth placed in child welfare institutions: A rapid review

Key message

A minority of children and youth are taken out of their family home and placed in residential care. They have the same rights as children living with one or both parents, including the right to education. We conducted a rapid review, aiming to summarise research on the school situation for children and youth placed in child welfare residential care – preferentially in Norway. We conducted literature searches in six databases, selected studies published between 2014-2024, extracted data and group the findings narratively.

We included 22 studies (presented in 26 publications). Five studies came from Norway, and one each from Denmark and Sweden. All, except one study from Canada, were conducted in a Western-European country. There were 12 quantitative studies, of which two were longitudinal, nine qualitative studies and one mixed methods study. In total, the studies included about 147 000 participants, mainly children and youth with experience from residential care. The studies’ results suggest:

• Children and youth in the care of child welfare services, especially those in residential care, show weaker academic performance, have more absenteeism, and have higher risk of school drop-out.
• Children and youths’ school situation is affected by their previous life experiences as well as their current situation.
• Adapted teaching and education might be beneficial.
• Instability in the care situation, changing schools, and social disruptions negatively affects childen and youths’ experiences related to their school situation and results.

Overall, our findings imply there may be benefits of a holistic, tailored approach to the school situation of children and youth in residential care, taking into account their unique experiences and needs in relation to school, the institutional environment, and their social context. Further research could enhance adaptation efforts and subsequently improve outcomes.