Lastekodud

Lastekodud are residential care institutions for children and adolescents who cannot live with their birth families due to abuse, neglect, parental incapacity, or other risk factors. They provide housing, daily care, education, and a protective environment.

They typically house children in small groups or units, with 24/7 supervision and a team that may include educators, social workers, psychologists, and teachers. Services include schooling support, health and mental health care, development activities, and help with life skills.

Admission is handled by local child protection authorities or courts within the national legal framework. Placements can be temporary or long-term, and the overarching aim is to ensure the child's safety and well-being, with a view to family reunification, or transition to foster care or adoption when feasible.

Governance and funding come from national and local government; in Estonia, for example, municipalities manage most placements within the framework of national social welfare law. Regulatory bodies oversee child protection practices and rights of residents.

The contemporary trend in many countries, including Estonia, is deinstitutionalization: reducing long-term stays in large facilities, expanding family-based care, and creating smaller, more homelike residential settings to support reintegration into the family or community.