Continuity and coherence for Danish children and young people placed outside their homes – a positive development?

Abstract

All Breaks and instability is the reality for many children and young people placed outside their homes. For some of these children and young people this might results in a wide range of negative outcomes in relation to education, occupation and psychological wellbeing. The purpose of this article is to discuss the concept of continuity for Danish children and young people placed outside their homes through a policy analysis, a theoretical perspective and through looking at empirical research. The discussion starts with a review of the developments in legislation and social policy followed by an encirclement of the concept of continuity based on the perspectives of young people who had been placed outside their homes as children and relevant theory. Finally, an assessment of how these developments has affected the experience of continuity for children and young people placed outside their homes is carried out by a review of our own and other researchers empirical studies about placement stability and breakdowns, contact with family during placements, and continuity in schooling and education. The discussions in this article indicates that despite of the increasing focus on stability in legislation and social policy during the three last decade’s discontinuity is still the reality for many children and young people placed outside their homes in Denmark.