The study compared the characteristics of individuals residing in either institutional or community settings in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and one regional center in California. The results show that the more severely mentally retarded persons, with their attendant handicaps and maladaptive behavior, are still likely to be found in an…

Appraises foster care and advocates its change from a largely custodial system to one that is essentially treatment-oriented. Development of a placement continuum from least intrusive (day care) to most intrusive (hospitalization), with a variety of intermediate options including foster home care, is crucial. (NH)

Group care centers are established to provide a range of living, learning, treatment, and supervisory opportunities for children and young people who, for a variety of reasons, need alternative, supplementary, or substitute care. It is important, therefore, that group care centres establish an organizational climate, ethos, or culture of caring…

Ninety-two primary caregivers in residences for the developmentally disabled were surveyed on residential staff roles, training responsibilities, and perception of resident needs. Among results are that residential staff viewed basic facility maintenance as a primary responsibility; and that less than 50 percent of the staff could define basic…

Provides a personal account of a British tutor's experiences with children at a state-run orphanage in Rumania, focusing on emotional reactions of the tutor and the children. Describes a cooperative project to provide the children with materials for play and learning activities, and discusses changes in orphanage practices after the project. (AC)

This issue of "The Link" newsletter contains the following articles: (1) Evidence-Based Practice: Developing a New Business Model from the Inside Out (Jeremy Kohomban, Paul Schiller, and Patricia O'Gorman); (2) The School to Prison Pipeline and Criminalizing Youth: Costs, Consequences, and Alternatives (Marsha Weissman); (3) Group Homes Appear…

Offers recommendations to help advocates of the team approach in group care facilities for children and adolescents overcome some of the problems they may have with implementing team models according to their own designs. (NH)

Two groups of Welsh Ss were video recorded on two occasions: both before and after one group was transferred from standard institutions to residential-style group homes. (Author/DLS)

The Child Health and Illness Profile--Adolescent Edition (CHIP-AE) was administered to 63 adolescents in group settings. Domains studied were satisfaction, resilience, risk, achievement, and disorders. Compared to a normed group, youth in group homes or institutions felt physically healthy and safe and were resilient. Of concern were low…

This paper reports on outcomes of a deinstitutionalization project for children with severe multiple intellectual and physical disabilities, in which 98 residents of a hospital were relocated to small group homes. Positive effects were found in self-care and in social interactions. No meaningful changes in physical health were observed. (Author/PB)

A study of 64 British people with learning disabilities examined the differences in the levels of engagement in purposeful activity between the people living in staffed homes (n=34) and those living in the hospital (n=30). Results found that differences in the level of disability between the two groups predicted the observed differences. (CR)

This article reports on a deinstitutionalization project for children with severe multiple intellectual and physical disabilities, in which 98 hospital residents were relocated to small group homes. Relocation generally resulted in a more varied life-routine for residents, a broader range of social activities and greater contact with their…

For the past two decades, economic influences have significantly impacted the provision of health and welfare services for children, young people and their families in communities around the world. The dynamic of cost has reshaped both the nature and provision of group care services, promoting de-institutionalization and transforming the nature of…

Many communities have turned to group homes and residential treatment centers to serve children and adolescents displaying behavioral and/or emotional problems, because most foster parents are not able to deal with such children, and the expense of psychiatric hospitalization is prohibitive. One alternative which has been used very sparingly is…

Presents a brief overview of the development of Israel's heavy dependency on residential placement for child welfare. Recent trends reflect heavier reliance on community-based servcies for disadvantaged youth, but efforts to coordinate and improve such services are only beginning. (KH)