Institutional Foster Care and Child Stability in Rivers State: A Structuration Theory Analysis of Faith-Based Orphanages

Abstract

This study explores the effects of institutional foster care on the relational, developmental, and stability outcomes of children in faith-based orphanages in Rivers State, Nigeria. Guided by structuration theory, the research reveals that while faith-based institutions offer safe spaces and moral lessons, children often experience emotional discontinuity and weak personalized attachment. Stability was found to depend on caring patterns of staff and organizational culture. The research contributes a structuration-based explanation of the interaction between institutional rules and child agency.

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