A home-like environment?
| PhD ceremony: | Y.G. (Ymke) Riemersma, MSc |
| When: | September 04, 2025 |
| Start: | 14:30 |
| Supervisors: | dr. A.E. (Elianne) Zijlstra, prof. dr. A.T. Harder, M.E. Kalverboer, dr. W.J. Post |
| Where: | Academy building RUG |
| Faculty: | Behavioural and Social Sciences |
A home-like environment and stability in residential youth care?
Residential youth care (RYC) is undergoing a transformation to better meet the needs of young people unable to live at home. Traditionally, RYC was provided in treatment groups of 8 to 10 young people, typically located on large campuses with multiple facilities, designed for short-term stays. In recent years, however, there has been a shift toward alternative RYC settings, such as family-style group homes and home-like groups (including small-scale RYC). In these settings, 4 to 8 young people (preferably 4 to 6) live together in regular neighborhoods, with the possibility of longer stays, often until at least the age of 18.
Ymke Riemersma’s doctoral research, funded by Stichting Het Vergeten Kind, compared traditional and alternative RYC settings in the Netherlands. Her study followed 41 young people for about 18 months to assess their living environment, stability, and quality of life.Youth, parents, and professionals generally rated the alternative RYC settings more positively than traditional RYC settings. Contributing factors included a home-like environment, access to social networks, and participation in sports or other clubs.
The study also found that young people in alternative RYC settings moved less frequently than those in traditional RYC. The experienced quality of life varied per individual, but was often related to the quality of relationships with parents and professionals. The findings highlight the importance of investing in a positive living environment within RYC. A home-like environment, individualized care, and a focus on parental contact and social networks are important for the development of young people in care.