Interview data on families with children multiply admitted to residential care were contrasted with data from a disadvantaged comparison sample. Members of the in-care group were twice as likely as those in the comparison group to have parenting problems and were distinguished as much by other kinds of family difficulties as by parenting problems…

Studies families showing parenting difficulties and examines possible origins of those difficulties. Findings demonstrate a strong link between multiple parenting breakdown and markedly disrupted family experiences in childhood. Concludes that explanatory models based exclusively on either personal or material factors are inadequate. (RH)