The present study aimed at investigating the perception that children who are in institutional shelter have on the family structure and dynamic. This is a multiple-case study in which nine children with ages between six and seven years old took part; they were housed in a state institution from the state of Pará-Brazil. The data were collected by the use of an adapted characterization form, for the sociodemographic analysis, and the Family System Test (FAST) for the analysis of the perception the children have on family structure and dynamic. The main results show for the characterization that most of the participants were visited, and two participants were in the institution for a long period. In addition, gender and age were included in the selection criteria for partaking. It was verified that being visited by the parents is an important factor for the effective re-insertion of the child, shortening its permanence period in the institution. The data also showed that even though the institution has an exceptional and provisory character as a measure of protective, some children stay in the institution for a long period of time, demonstrating the weakening of family bonds. In addition, gender and age are responsible factors for the disruption of groups of siblings. To what concerns the FAST application, and also the characterization, they showed that the current concept of a nuclear family does not cover several new arrangements, demonstrating that the families represented by the participants were very diverse. In all representations there was a strong presence of the extensive family, specially of the grandparents, important characters in the welcoming process because they are the most common visitors after the mothers. In most representations, mainly in the conflict ones, by relating the cohesion and hierarchy scores it was identified an unbalanced family structure, with an excess of power concentration and little affective exchanges between the family members, revealing a family dynamic with little flexibility, indicating the existence of strict limits that imply in a poor interaction with other contexts besides the family. In addition, for a more effective approach with the children in this institutions and their family it is mandatory to listen to them, for their perception on their own situation may ease the approach of people working with this population. The results are also useful for the professionals that work in this area, such as the technical team of the institution (pedagogue, psychologist, and social worker), for it can capacitate those professionals to work with infancy, adolescence, and family in a position of social vulnerability, contributing to the theoretical and practical foundation of these professionals for the decision making during the processes. As these professionals have more theoretical foundations they can contribute to a more effective approach with the families, including them in the attended group and making them better caretakers.
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