Although much is known about the mental health and behavioral functioning of youth who enter residential care programs, very little research has focused on examining the family characteristics of this population. Knowledge about family characteristics is important, however, as it can aid in tailoring programs to meet the needs of families who are involved in treatment and help them address concerns in order to facilitate the transition home. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the characteristics of youth's families at the time of entry into a residential care program. Using data from archived youth files, family characteristics were examined across several areas, including: (a) youth variables related to family (e.g., out-of-home placements, legal guardian), (b) family risk (e.g., substance abuse, domestic violence, financial problems), and (c) parenting (e.g., adequate supervision, discipline, communication). Findings suggested that youth entering residential care programs have families with high levels of risk and low levels of parenting skills. Implications and considerations for future research are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)