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Historically, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) children have been disproportionately represented in the foster care system. In this study, nationally representative child welfare data from October 1999 was used to compare urban AI/AN children to non-Indian children placed into out-of-home care. Compared to non-Indian children, urban AI/AN children were older, were more often male, came from poorer homes, and were more frequently placed into group homes/residential placements. Urban AI/AN caregivers had a greater prevalence of alcohol abuse and mental health problems compared with non-Indian caregivers. (Contains 2 tables.)

Using three waves of data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, this study examines differences in cognitive, academic, and affective well-being of youth first placed in nonkinship foster care (N=259) and youth first placed in group care (N=89). To compare nonrandomized groups, propensity score matching was used. Results from hierarchical linear modeling suggest that both groups of youth show improved behavior and below-average academics over time. (Contains 6 tables.)

Current federal legislation identifies three goals for the child welfare system: safety, permanence, and family and child well-being. Unfortunately, child well-being becomes subordinate to the more easily achievable and measurable goal of permanence--returning children to the biological family, facilitating an adoption, or placing them with relatives. Most people assume that permanency leads to child well-being. However, there is little research, if any, documenting the development of children after permanency is established. The focus on permanence adversely affects the potential outcomes that could be achieved. Instead of viewing time in foster care as a significant developmental window for a child who has undoubtedly suffered, foster care becomes a "parking lot" where children are safely held pending more permanent arrangements. Cost and safety become the most important considerations while little attention is paid to improving child development and well-being. Residential group care, when done well, is one of the strongest links in the foster care system. This article discusses the current state of residential group care and the challenge it faces. (Contains 1 footnote.)

A national probability sample of children who have been in child welfare supervised placements for about one year identifies the characteristics (e.g., age, training, education, health, and home) of the foster parents, kinship foster parents, and group home caregivers. Caregiving respondents provided information about their backgrounds. Interviewers also used the HOME-SF to assess the caregiving environments of foster care and kinship care. Comparisons are made to other nationally representative samples, including the U.S. Census and the National Survey of America's Families. Kinship care, foster care, and group care providers are significantly different from each other--and the general population--in age and education. Findings on the numbers of children cared for, understimulating environments, use of punitive punishment, and low educational levels of caregivers generate suggestions for practice with foster families. (Contains 10 tables.)

The Child Health and Illness Profile--Adolescent Edition (CHIP-AE) was administered to 63 adolescents in group settings. Domains studied were satisfaction, resilience, risk, achievement, and disorders. Compared to a normed group, youth in group homes or institutions felt physically healthy and safe and were resilient. Of concern were low self-esteem, high emotional discomfort, risk taking, and low work performance. (KK)

Defines and analyzes different approaches to contracting of foster care. The approaches are based on meeting standards specified in the contract. Using group foster care as an example, proposes a design for performance-based contracting that achieves intended objectives, yet is consistent with the values of the social work profession. (HTH)

Discusses specific elements that can foster effective and abuse-free out-of-home care, increase program effectiveness, and reduce negative outcomes such as staff burnout. Elements include caregiver support, a model of care, a focus on positive behavior, a consumer orientation, training, program evaluation, and an internal program audit. (HTH)

Children have been casualties of decades of social deterioration in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Children's Fund has made progress in developing diversified forms of foster care and has enlisted both public and government support of programs to protect children. (BC)

Appraises foster care and advocates its change from a largely custodial system to one that is essentially treatment-oriented. Development of a placement continuum from least intrusive (day care) to most intrusive (hospitalization), with a variety of intermediate options including foster home care, is crucial. (NH)

Statistical validation is reported for the Child Care Perceiver Interview instrument, used in employing residential child care workers. Results indicate that the interview is effective in predicting job performance in group care settings and is acceptable in meeting Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. (Author/BB)

Offers recommendations to help advocates of the team approach in group care facilities for children and adolescents overcome some of the problems they may have with implementing team models according to their own designs. (NH)

Questions child welfare policy of maintaining a child with natural parents at all costs. Research on the moral development of children in group homes indicated that placement in stable, democratic, and caring group homes was preferable to leaving the child in a severely disturbed family. (Author/DB)

Steps in establishing a community-supported foster group home are described. Efforts to begin the group home, now in its fifth year of existence, included community education, community organization, and work with individual community members. (Author/DB)

A survey of parents, foster parents, and guardians whose children were group home residents indicated the need for programs with different levels of parent involvement. Written contracts between houseparents and children's parents are recommended. (Author/DB)

Investigated two main areas: (1) tasks performed by child care workers, group home houseparents, and social workers working in group child care; and (2) knowledge of specific domains (e.g. nutrition, behavioral theories) relevant to performance of those tasks. Results are considered germane to staff training programs, job descriptions, and program development. (Author/DB)

Describes the placement evaluation program developed by Children's Garden, a private nonprofit agency operating a family-model treatment group home for children in kindergarten through seventh grades. (RH)

Reports findings of a survey of residents of a large urbanized county concerning their attitudes toward group facilities for individuals with one of nine categories of disability. Groups found more acceptable consisted of elderly, terminally ill, physically handicapped, and mentally retarded persons; those found less acceptable were troubled adolescents, the mentally ill, alcoholics, drug addicts, and parolees. (RHK7

In 1995, the Indiana Association of Residential Child Care Agencies (IARCCA), an association of children and family services, responded to a request to demonstrate effectiveness of residential care. The organization developed a vision for evaluating outcomes that incorporated collaboration with others, use of data and projection toward the future. This guiding vision led to an ongoing project for IARCCA member agencies across Indiana. This article shares lessons learned from this 15-year process, including developing benchmarks to establish best practices for serving youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper puts forward a conceptual framework for engaging peers as central to transitional services for care-leavers. The situation of youth exiting care is examined and an evidence-informed approach to supporting care-leavers is presented. Exploring the social networks of youth leaving care provides a mechanism for both supporting the maintenance of ties and fostering the development of weak tie connections that facilitate opportunities for social mobility.

This article presents a synthesis of what is known about the educational experiences of youth living in residential group care based on a literature review that highlights both the experiences of the youth themselves and the operational context of residential group care in Ontario as it pertains to educational performance. The author argues that there is little emphasis on education within the residential group care sector in Ontario that could translate into more productive educational experiences for youth. The article then provides a framework for developing a culture of education for residential group care that can be acted upon expeditiously. Enhancing the educational performance of young people living in group care will require a cultural approach that provides for daily and pervasive education supports and encouragement, and aims to enhance the lived experience of young people pursuant to their education.

Children in alternate care often have adjustment problems that manifest in various aspects of their lives. Individual therapy is often assumed to be the desired intervention, but resources seldom permit one-to-one therapy for these disturbances. The authors argue that groupwork should be considered as a possible treatment of choice. Not only is it likely to be more economical than individual therapy, it has the inherent advantage of telling children in care that they are not alone, and that other children have similar experiences and feelings. It also allows them to develop their own support network. Such groups appear to have been underutilized in work with children in out-of-home care. This article describes such a group and its outcome. Various techniques were developed to achieve specified aims. The techniques appeared to be successful. Further work on such groups and more specific evaluation is called for.

A children's institution offers a creative program for single mothers and their families--a 24-hour child care facility on the campus that provides residential service for the entire family. Over several months, the staff helps with family problems such as income, housing, abuse and other family dysfunctions and prevention of separation. Though small, the program has experienced success and has operated on a small budget for the last 10 years.