Breakdown in placement of young people in care

“This is no life,” says 20-year-old Anja about one of her placements in care which ended in a breakdown. The first time Anja was placed in care, she was nine years old, and she has since been placed in 11 different places.Anja’s story shows how placement of young people in care is far from always successful. Almost half of young people in care experience one of more breakdowns during their placement. Two thirds of the breakdowns occur within the first year.This report further describes an understanding of the reasons behind breakdowns in placements and provides an insight into the world of young people. A world characterised by institutional parallel worlds, where the young person and the adults have different points of orientation. And where the young person’s anchoring in the group of young people at the institution is pivotal for the success of the placement in care.The report concludes a long-term research project at the Danish National Centre for Social Research (SFI) about young people placed in care. It is based on a questionnaire survey among 227 young people who were placed in care between the ages 13-17 years, and on interviews with some of these young people, their parents, case workers, educators, contact persons etc.