Abstract

In Chile, 4% of children and adolescents reside in state-regulated residential care facilities under the National Service for Specialized Protection of Children and Adolescents. Direct Treatment Educators are responsible for meeting basic needs, managing daily routines, and proving social parenting to support residents´ personal development. This study explored how these professionals influence the formation of life projects among children and adolescents in residential care, following the implementation of a non-normative psychosocial and educational intervention proposal for adolescents. A concurrent nested mixed-methods design (quantitative-qualitative) was used, employing triangulation to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings. The research involved 31 Direct treatment educators from Chile’s Maule Region, who completed a Likert-scale questionnaire and participated in a focus group. Results indicate that the educators´ professional trajectories and personal life experiences shape residents´ capacity to envision and construct future life projects through caregiving practices, relational dynamics, and the structuring of daily life. Additionally, the personal aspirations and experiences of these professionals influence the emotional bonds, expectations, and self-perception of the children and adolescents in their care. The findings suggest that greater experience and specialized knowledge enhance educators´ ability to guide and support residents in building meaningful and sustainable life projects. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.