Private Service, Public Rights: The Private Children's Residential Group Care Sector in Ontario, Canada

This article explores the core themes and issues of private residential service delivery for children and youth in Ontario, with a specific focus on staffed group care within this sector. Such exploration highlights the juxtaposition of the public rights of children with the private world of service provision. Based on twenty interviews with owners of private residential care facilities and an examination of government and professional writing and reports about residential care in Ontario, there is no obvious reason to dismiss or be critical of private residential care. However, both private and public residential care in Ontario are under-regulated, resulting in significant variations in terms of organizational structures, the quality of staffing and training, accountability and transparency, and ultimately, the efficacy of specific residential services.