This report summarizes data collected in the "most ambitious study of the out-of-state placement of children ever undertaken in America." It reports data gathered for the year 1978 from more than 20,000 public agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and from more than 50 counties, including 60,000 individual contacts. The volume is made up of two chapters. In chapter 1, the reasons for the study are explained and the methodology of the data collection is discussed. Chapter 2 presents a descriptive summary and state-specific information collected from the national survey. The following topics are discussed in chapter 2: (1) organization of youth services in state and local government; (2) the number of children placed in out-of-state residential settings; (3) the types of children; (4) the categories of placement and states of destination; (5) costs; (6) reasons associated with out-of-state placement practices; (7) use of compacts; (8) monitoring practices for out-of-state placements; (9) the availability and reliability of information in state government; and (10) the placement policies and practices of federal agencies. Appendix A includes a more detailed discussion of methodology of the study as well as copies of survey instruments. Appendixes B through D contain national tables of citations, by state, concerning the enactment of interstate compacts, along with the compact texts. (Five volumes of state profiles in separate documents provide a systematic comparable presentation of descriptive information about each state and the District of Columbia.) (KC)