Care Practices in Residential Child Homes: Caregiver and Youth Voices

ABSTRACT Youth in residential care homes have often been exposed to emotionally impactful life events. The Children and Residential Experiences (CARE) model is an evidence‐based program within a trauma‐informed approach that guides caregiver practices. This study aims to analyse care practices in residential care from youth and caregiver perspectives, as well as assessing their congruence. The sample included 14 residential care homes in northern Spain and consisted of 91 youth and 111 caregivers who were evaluated with an instrument developed by the CARE model. Congruence was observed in highly scored domains: ‘listening and understanding’ and ‘inclusion’ and in the lowest scores: ‘flexibility’ and ‘avoid reliance on consequences.’ Despite these similarities, youth generally reported lower scores in most domains. These results may reflect the persistent use of traditional behavioural models in residential care. The low scores in the youth sample could be related to their life history of exposure to traumatic events. This may impact their perception of well‐being and safety. Therefore, a transition in care practices toward trauma‐informed interventions is needed, in which relationships are the key to care. Furthermore, integrating both perspectives allows for the design of more effective interventions tailored to the needs of young people.