The introductory part of the paper describes the forms of accommodation for children in the social welfare system and defines the concept of behavioral problems. Special emphasis was placed on the description of the institute of specialized foster care for children with behavioral problems and its development and situation in the Republic of Croatia through a review of legislation and statistics. The results of a qualitative research aimed at investigating the perception of children and young people with behavioral problems in accommodation in specialized foster care homes and its perception in relation to other forms of alternative care are also presented. The research was conducted on a sample of nineteen user participants who were divided into focus groups, and who are accommodated in Institution for Children and Youth in Zadar, Rijeka and Karlovac. Participants stated that they perceive foster care as a substitute for a biological family and as a form of assistance, but at the same time as an uncertain form of accommodation, and specialized foster care as an unknown term. The accommodation service in the institution is perceived through the dormitory rules, the role of the educator and the educational task of the institution itself, as well as through various privileges of life in the institution. Participants also mentioned various negative aspects of life in the institution such as the home child label. They also made some recommendations on how specialized foster care should look like educating foster carers and improving the quality of the foster care system.