MELO, I. M.; SANTOS, D. B. dos; OLIVEIRA, D. P.; KLINGER, E. F.; BATISTA, J. P. The experience of the breakdown of family bonds in children residing in a shelter institution. Estilos Da Clinica, 30(1), 114-129, 2025.
Available on: https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-1624.v30i1p114-129
Objective: This study aimed to investigate how children living in a foster care institution express the experience of breaking ties with their family of origin. At birth, babies are vulnerable beings and incapable of surviving on their own; everything they lack must be provided by an adult caregiver. In addition to basic care for food and hygiene, it is important to experience continuous emotional contact with a constant figure, whether the mother or a competent substitute caregiver. This relationship is fundamental for establishing attachment bonds, which are essential to promote and ensure their biopsychoaffective development. Methodologically, case studies were conducted with four children, aged six to ten years old, living in the Foster Care Institution of Gurupi-TO – Casa Cidadã. Methods: As research instruments, interviews with the institution’s psychologist were used, followed by playful interviews with the children together with the application of the Drawing-of-Family-and-Story Procedure (DF-E). As a result, the children expressed the rupture of family ties, from the inability to write their name and the impoverishment of the word (C1); the inability to talk about family (C2); the inability to draw a picture on the theme of family (C3); and the naming of the drawing as a “family photo” (C4). The cases discussed present different life stories that outline abandonment, helplessness, lack of care and support that impact the development of these children. Results: Thus, feelings, behaviors and symptoms presented by the children were pointed out, such as aggressiveness, delinquency, emotional deprivation, helplessness, learning difficulties at school, and feelings of ambivalence towards the family. Conclusion: Finally, the importance of institutional care services in situations in which families are unable to fulfill their role of care and protection is highlighted.