Examines the conceptualization of abuse of children by peers within institutional settings. Explores the assumptions held about peer behavior and problems and dilemmas around identifying when residents' behavior should be viewed as abusive. Focuses on how the dynamics of institutions influences these definitions and assumptions and how these…

New York City Administration for Children's Services agencies were surveyed about problematic sexualized behaviors (PSB) of children within the child welfare system. Results revealed that almost all agencies reported PSB within their foster boarding home and residential treatment centers. A majority of agencies perceived PSB to be a significant…

Compared a professional foster-care program and two specialized programs in Cook County, Illinois, with kinship and nonrelative-family foster homes. Found that professional and kinship foster care consistently outperformed specialized and nonrelative care in stability, sibling placement, care restrictiveness, and proximity to child's community of…

Discusses issues related to measuring outcomes of social-work interventions with children. Emphasizes the need for regular, carefully timed assessments. Argues that approach and perspective differences obscure relationships between program and child outcomes and that assessing family-services outcomes raises accountability questions. Suggests that…

"Residential Group Care Quarterly" is published four times a year by the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). This issue of "Residential Group Care Quarterly" contains the following articles: (1) Building Bridges between Service Delivery Providers, Families, and Youth (Lloyd Bullard); (2) The Promise of Professionalism Arrives in Practice:…

This issue of "Residential Group Care Quarterly" contains the following articles: (1) "National Definitions and Data Collection for Residential Care Facilities' Use of Restraint and Seclusion" (Lloyd Bullard); (2) "CWLA Publishes Best Practices in Behavior Support and Intervention Assessment Instrument" (Nupur Gupta); (3) "Initial Findings of an…

Noting that resurgence of the "orphanage" controversy has recently brought public attention to the child welfare system in Minnesota, this report notes that the child welfare system is not well understood and focuses debate on the needs of children who cannot live at home. Following introductory remarks and highlights from the text, the…

Official state program reviews of 204 substitute care facilities were assessed for the types of behavior management and behavioral interventions used and the extent to which agency practices were consistent with learning theory principles. Data were also collected on the type and number of professional staff available to implement and oversee…

The first African American Child Welfare Summit convened to discuss the phenomenon of the disproportionate rate of out-of-home placement of African American children and the implications for African American families and communities. Summit participants set several goals for themselves, including the development of a vision for reducing…

To compose a comprehensive description of the residential child care needs in Indiana, county agencies, county welfare departments, and probation departments were surveyed. Respondents were asked to identify the characteristics of children placed in Indiana residential facilities, in out-of-state residential care, and of those whom the agency was…

Argues that the residential treatment model based on individual psychotherapy and emphasizing the rule of the expert is a potential breeder of staff conflict that can vitiate treatment. A group oriented model is suggested. (MS)

Explores licensing of out-of-home care as nonservice protective approach to child welfare distinguished from placement protective services. Discusses individual and role conflicts in relation to common goals of community protection of vulnerable children. Reviews administrative and organizational issues in light of assuring consistent and uniform…

Evaluated the effectiveness of intensive, nonresidential support services for low- and high-risk families. Results indicated placement rates and mean days in care of high-risk program participants were half those of high-risk nonparticipants. Program participation was unrelated to the placements of lower risk youths. (Author/BL)

Proposes the use of a post-substantiation model for responding to incidents of abuse within an institutional setting. Provides an example of how this model is applied to the investigation of institutional abuse. (Author/BB)

This issue of "Residential Group Care Quarterly" contains the following articles: (1) "CWLA's Position on Residential Care"; (2) "The View of Adolescent Life: Perceptions and Realities" ( Lisa Moore Willis); (3) "Assessing Youth Preferences for Adult Behavior in Residential Care: A Replication" (Jack T. Bowers, III, Robert J. Jones, Gary D.…