<p>Based on a&#xa0;quantitative survey in residential care, this study examines young people’s sense of belonging to their places of residence. Of particular interest is the future-oriented dimension of belonging, which is reflected in the young people’s expectations of their placement perspective. Thus, the sense of belonging of those expecting reunification with their family was compared with the sense of belonging of those expecting to remain in the institution into adulthood. In addition, the influence of the length of stay in the residential care facility on the sense of belonging was examined. Data were collected as part of a&#xa0;research project in which 563 adolescents living in institutions in German-speaking Switzerland were surveyed. The results show that more than a&#xa0;third of the respondents expected reunification with their family. They also show that young people’s expectations about their placement are important for their sense of belonging. Those expecting reunification had a&#xa0;significantly lower sense of belonging to the institution and a&#xa0;significantly higher sense of belonging to their family home than those expecting to live in the institution into adulthood. Despite these differences, the results show that for most young people the family home remains important despite their out-of-home placement. However, no significant correlations were found with the duration of placement, neither with the expectation of placement nor with the sense of belonging.</p>