Based on the paradigm of Dan McAdams, according to which identity is constructed
in narrative, an exploratory research of qualitative nature was conducted on the life stories and the
projects for the future of adolescents placed in Childhood and Youth Homes, under the protection
measure of extended placement in an institution. This study sought to answer, among others, the
following research questions: Are the institutionalized adolescents more oriented towards the past
than towards the future? What projects do the adolescents make for their future lives? Following
the methodology of Grounded Analysis, 17 adolescents, between the ages of 15 and 18, with a
minimum of 5 years of institutionalization, were interviewed. The results showed that: 1) there are
no signifi cant statistical differences between the orientation towards the past, present and future of
these institutionalized adolescents; 2) their future time perspective is sparse, poorly structured, more
imagined than motivational, and is mainly composed of the objects which can ensure them the basic
conditions for subsistence, such as having a job and a home. From the fi ndings obtained during this
research some practical implications were taken, which concern some aspects of the care provided to
the institutionalized children and adolescents.