The Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care

Instructions for Authors

We have an open call for articles on all topics related to residential child care and we also plan specific themed issues. The deadline for inclusion in a spring issue is usually the last Sunday of February and the deadline for inclusion in an autumn issue is usually the third Sunday of August. You should contact the Journal Administrator at sjrcc@strath.ac.uk if you have any questions regarding deadline dates.

Please read our statement of aim and scope and look at articles we have previously published.

We are committed to the use of inclusive and non-stigmatising language in all our journal content. As a Scotland-based Journal we are particularly influenced in this by The Promise, and by the Each and Every Child initiative. We recognise that language evolves, that terms used historically may not be appropriate for modern audiences, and that usages may differ internationally. As part of our editorial process, we endeavour to draw authors' attention to any potentially problematic terms or phrases, and where appropriate suggest alternatives, with a view to mutual agreement on any changes. We encourage authors and readers to alert us to any instances in which we get this wrong, in order that we may learn from errors.

Please download the submission pack (provided below) which contains our range of article templates as well as guidelines for submitting articles. If you require further advice, email us at sjrcc@strath.ac.uk with an outline of the article you have in mind and an indication of the article type.

It is essential that authors follow the requirements for writing style and referencing specified in the 'Guidelines for Contributors'. Please use the relevant article template, write in English with UK/Irish spellings, and use APA7 referencing style. Remember that all articles must be capable of being understood by an international audience. Scottish-based authors should not assume readers will be familiar with Scottish policy and law.

It is important that the layout of an article template remains intact. Authors names, contact details, affiliations, and About the Author(s) information should be included in the submission of all articles. Any information contained within an Original Research Article which identifies the author will be removed and retained by Journal Administrator before being sent for double-blind review as a redacted version. The information will then be returned to the final version of the article once the review process is complete.

Download the submission pack

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Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care - Call for articles for 2027-28 on two special themes

The Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care (SJRCC) invites submissions for its 2027-28 issues on two special themes:

• Love in alternative care for children and young people
• Deinstitutionalisation and child care reform

We welcome contributions from researchers, practitioners, policymakers, people with lived experience, and interdisciplinary scholars on topics including, but not limited to, residential child care, foster care, kinship care and adoption.

To be considered for articles for these two special themes, expressions of interest of up to 300 words should be sent by 15 November 2026 to sjrcc@strath.ac.uk. The deadline for submission of articles for formal review will be 30 June 2027.

Our guest editors for these themes are Dr. Ian Milligan, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, CELCIS, University of Strathclyde and Professor James Anglin, Professor Emeritus, School of Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria.

Special theme 1: Love in alternative care for children and young people

The system of care for children and young people in Scotland has embraced The Promise of the Independent Care Review. At the heart of The Promise is an ambition for Scotland that all its children and young people to grow up loved, safe and respected, with the ability to realise their full potential.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in, and discussion about, the notion of love in child and youth care systems, especially in North America and at international conferences. While there would be little debate about the importance of children and young people needing to be and feel loved, there are many complex and challenging questions about the implications for systems of alternative care and for people providing care and support within these systems, for potential authors to consider, including but not limited to:

• All children have the right to grow up loved, safe and respected. What would it mean to build a care system characterised as loving?
• How do we understand the nature of love when we speak of ‘loving care’?
• Can we guarantee that every child will be and feel loved?
• Is it realistic, appropriate, or even possible for people providing care and support to love every child or young person in care?
• Can the workforce be trained to love, or to demonstrate loving behaviours?
• What are the experiences of young people in relation to being or feeling loved in our existing care systems?
• How do we measure or research love in foster care, kinship care and residential child?

Special theme 2: Deinstitutionalisation and child care reform

In this call we seek contributions from multiple perspectives, with a view to contributing to a constructive and evidence-informed dialogue about the role of residential care in a well-functioning child care system.

No one wants poor quality or developmentally harmful care for children and young people in any alternative care for children and young people, whether group or family based. Equally, no one wants large, depersonalised institutions where children are neglected and their needs are not fully supported.

Proponents of deinstitutionalisation and child care reform initiatives argue that all residential care is harmful for children of all ages. An alternative argument says that group care options will realistically always be required and that the focus should be on making that care high quality. Questions for consideration by potential authors include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• Are families and family based alternative care options, such as foster homes and kinship care, always preferable to staffed residential child care? What evidence is available to answer this question?
• Is there any research or practice-based evidence that supports a permanent need for some quality children’s residential care in a well-functioning child care system?
• Can we focus on the child rather than the system in discussions about deinstitutionalisation and child care reform? How can we best match the needs of a child with the appropriate alternative care option?
• If a young person states a strong preference for a group home, especially after a number of changes in foster care arrangements, should this be respected and supported?
• How much positioning on these issues is evidence-informed, and how much is based upon ideology or unrealistic aspirations, on either side of the issue?
• What further research could help to answer questions raised in this debate?

Submissions may draw on research, practice insights, lived experience, or theoretical perspectives.

Publication Schedule

The SJRCC publishes twice per year, in spring and autumn.

To be considered for articles for these two special themes, expressions of interest of up to 300 words should be sent by 15 November 2026 to sjrcc@strath.ac.uk. The deadline for submission of articles for formal review will be 30 June 2027.

Contributions to these two special themes will be published in the Journal during 2027-28.

You can contact our Editors at sjrcc@strath.ac.uk to discuss your ideas or request further information.

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What books have inspired you?

Why not write a review

Do you have a book from over 10 years ago that has made a difference to your practice or your thinking about child and youth work? This could be an established book, memoirs, or something recommended by friends or colleagues. Perhaps others in our field could benefit from reading it, or they may be inspired by your story of encountering it.

What's involved?

These reviews should be approximately 500 words, preferably with personal examples of the impact on the author’s own experience.

The editors are excited to see what influenced your practice and are waiting on your submissions. They are ready to assist those considering writing a book review for the first time. Contact sjrcc@strath.ac.uk if you would like to discuss an idea you may have.