“TRANSFORMING” RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FOR MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN THROUGH RESEARCH. A SITUATED APPROACH TO SUPPORT SOCIAL EDUCATORS IN THEIR EVERYDAY WORK

Following Italian Guidelines for Residential Care for Children (2017), residential treatment for mothers with children (RTMC) consists in hosting facilities “balancing parenting responsibilities with children protection and care needs”. Due to continuously evolving social needs and policy requirements, RTMC is a growing reality, very little investigated by social research. For these – between many – reasons, one of the most prominent associations of the field commissioned one national investigation, upon which this paper is based. Conducted by a group of social educators-researchers – trained by the author of this paper –, this study was aimed at in-depth analyzing the state of the art of RTMC and, particularly, its everyday interaction, work, and general outcomes. To do so, four facilities were involved. Drawing on a situated approach in Social Psychology, we collected audio- and video-recorded interactive material (organizational meetings, dinnertime interaction, interviews) and, after several data sessions, we finally proposed aggregated results and suggested specific changes. This approach has proven to be particularly relevant for the educators-researchers themselves as well as for their broader work and field.