{"id":3067,"date":"2026-04-08T10:15:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T07:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tandem-org.gr\/?page_id=3067"},"modified":"2026-04-15T12:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T09:14:23","slug":"deinstitutionalization","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tandem-org.gr\/en\/deinstitutionalization\/","title":{"rendered":"DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION<\/h1><\/div>
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INSTITUTIONS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
A day in an institution, a life in an institution<\/h5><\/div>
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Imagine<\/strong> living in a space shared by 15 other people.
\nThe only thing that belongs to you is a bed\u2014very often with bars for \u201cprotection\u201d\u2014and you may have to stay there for days, months, or years.
\nImagine<\/strong> eating at fixed times, whether you are hungry or not. And having no choice.
\nImagine<\/strong> bathing only on scheduled days and times, and even when you urgently need it, having to wait.
\nImagine<\/strong> waking up and staring at a white ceiling. And before going to sleep at night, staring at that same white ceiling again.
\nImagine<\/strong> your day depending on the staff’s mood, because they are responsible for your care and the people you see every day.
\nImagine<\/strong> looking forward to going outside, but that moment takes a long time to come.
\nImagine<\/strong> being in pain but not being able to say it, or no one hearing you.
\nAt the hospital, not being cared for as you should be; at school\u2014if you attend\u2014being treated either with pity or being hurt because you are different; on the street\u2014if you go out\u2014being stared at.
\nImagine<\/strong> carrying every day the trauma from your life before coming here, while also opening new wounds each day. Never having heard someone say to you: \u201cHow do you feel?\u201d, \u201cI will always be by your side.\u201d \u201cI love you.\u201d
\nImagine<\/strong> not having dreams\u2014not because you don\u2019t want to, but because you are not allowed to.<\/p>\n

And to be a child\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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This is not a dystopian story.<\/strong>
\nIt is the reality for thousands of children living in institutions.<\/strong><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

According to an estimate by the Greek Ombudsman for Children in 2015<\/a>, approximately 3,000 children across the country were living in child protection institutions\u20141,000 in public facilities and the remaining 2,000 in private ones (residential homes and care institutions run by charitable associations, foundations, church organizations, etc.). More recent data show 1,377 children in institutions, with the majority over the age of six and at least 10% being children with disabilities (UNICEF, 2023). Most of these children are housed in large, old buildings, far from urban areas, while licensing, certification, supervision, and monitoring procedures show significant gaps.<\/p>\n

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According to an estimate by the Greek Ombudsman for Children in 2015<\/a>, approximately 3,000 children across the country were living in child protection institutions\u20141,000 in public facilities and the remaining 2,000 in private ones (residential homes and care institutions run by charitable associations, foundations, church organizations, etc.). More recent data show 1,377 children in institutions, with the majority under the age of six and at least 10% being children with disabilities (UNICEF, 2023). Most of these children are housed in large, old buildings, far from urban areas, while licensing, certification, supervision, and monitoring procedures show significant gaps.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What is happening in Greece<\/h4><\/div>
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While historically most institutions were created to house children orphaned by war, today most children living in institutions are not orphans. They are children removed from their families due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment.<\/p>\n

Today, in developed European countries, traditional child protection institutions have been abolished and replaced by small, family-type units or specialized therapeutic settings<\/strong> for children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, or physical (sensory, motor, or intellectual) disabilities.<\/p>\n

In Greece<\/strong>, by contrast, placing children<\/strong> who are removed from their families into institutions is usually the first\u2014and often the only\u2014solution considered<\/strong>. These institutions operate under an outdated, \u201casylum-type\u201d model, resulting in violations of the rights of the children who live in them.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Institutions with children with disabilities<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>

In particular, in institutions where children with disabilities live, the following are observed:<\/p>\n<\/div>

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1.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

Practices of mechanical or chemical restraint<\/strong>, such as tying children down or confining them to \u201ccage-beds,\u201d are due to a lack of staff to supervise them.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

2.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

Severe staff burnout<\/strong>, with employees working for many years under extremely demanding conditions, without proper training, support, or supervision.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

3.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

Cases of inadequate school<\/strong> attendance and lack of programs <\/strong>for creative activities, recreation, or socialization.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

4.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

Lack of qualified scientific staff<\/strong> poses serious risks to children\u2019s health, safety, and mental well-being.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

5.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

Children who reach adulthood<\/strong> within these institutions often remain there indefinitely<\/strong> or are transferred to elderly care facilities<\/strong>, due to the absence of appropriate structures for young disabled adults and the lack of support for independent living.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Impact of institutionalization<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
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According to international research<\/strong>, children who grow up in institutions tend to have lower-than-average IQ, delayed psychomotor development, attachment disorders, and impaired brain development. They often receive inadequate nutrition, insufficient medical and psychological care, and poor education; they face learning difficulties and are frequently victims of various forms of abuse. They also show an increased risk of delinquent behavior and suicidality in adulthood.<\/p>\n

Institutions have been proven to be harmful environments<\/strong>\u2014especially for disabled children<\/strong> \u2014violating fundamental human rights<\/strong> principles such as respect for human dignity, freedom, and equality, as well as basic rights related to survival, development, protection, participation, and identity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Increasing staff and funding may improve children\u2019s living conditions temporarily and superficially, but it is not the solution.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Podcasts<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>
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Listen to the podcast series \u201cInstitutions Are Not the Solution\u201d<\/h4><\/div>

Eight people shared their stories from institutions with us.
\nPeople who have spent part of their lives in institutions, foster mothers, and volunteers opened their hearts and spoke about their experiences\u2014and above all, about the fact that life outside an institution is not a privilege.
\nIt is a right.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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