Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Departure Status of Youth from Residential Group Care: Implications for Aftercare

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Child and Family Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Youth departing from out-of-home care settings face numerous challenges as they adapt to new settings or return to placements that have been unsuccessful in the past. Although several thousand youth face this transition annually, little is known about their specific needs and risks at departure. To better identify needs and risks, we evaluated the discharge data of 640 youth served in a residential group care setting by addressing the following questions: (a) to what settings do youth depart following a stay in residential group care, (b) what are the demographic, family, educational, behavioral, and departure characteristics of youth at departure, and (c) do these characteristics differ for youth departing to different levels of restrictiveness? Results indicate significant differences on youth characteristics based on levels of restrictiveness at departure placement. As one might expect, youth departing to more restrictive placements presented a broad host of challenges across domains, while those departing to less restrictive settings demonstrated fewer needs and departed with greater educational and behavioral gains. Results provide support for the development and planning of targeted aftercare programs designed to promote the short and long term functioning of youth served in out-of-home care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2001). Manual for ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allerhand, M. E., Weber, R. E., & Hoag, F. H. (1966). Adaptation and adaptability: The Bellefaire follow-up study. New York: Child Welfare League of America.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asarnow, J. R., Aoki, W., & Elson, S. (1996). Children in residential treatment: A follow-up study. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25, 209–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barratt, C. (1987). Preparation for adult life: A study of residential schools for the maladjusted. Maladjustment and Therapeutic Education, 4, 45–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, J. (1987). Residential treatment and aftercare: Protecting our investment. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 4, 45–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cafferty, H., & Leichtman, M. (2001). Facilitating the transition from residential treatment into the community: II. Changing social work roles. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 19, 13–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, M. E., & Dworsky, A. (2006). Early outcomes for young adults transitioning from out-of-home care in the USA. Child & Family Social Work, 11, 209–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, M. E., Pilivin, I., Grogan-Kaylor, A., & Nesmith, A. (2001). Foster youth transitions to adulthood: A longitudinal view of youth leaving care. Child Welfare, 80, 685–717.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Curry, J. F. (2004). Future directions in residential treatment outcome research. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 13, 429–440.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, R. A. (2004). Inpatient and residential treatment effects for children and adolescents: A review and critique. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 13, 411–428.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fields, E., Farmer, E. M. Z., Apperson, J., Mustillo, S., & Simmers, D. (2006). Treatment and posttreatment effects of residential treatment using a re-education model. Behavioral Disorders, 31, 312–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • George, D., & Mallery, P. (2001). SPSS for windows step by step: A simple guide and reference 10.0 update (3rd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorske, T. T., Srebalus, D. J., & Walls, R. T. (2003). Adolescents in residential centers: Characteristics and treatment outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, 25, 317–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guterman, N. B., Hodges, V. G., Blythe, B. J., & Bronson, D. E. (1989). Aftercare service development for children in residential treatment. Child & Youth Care Quarterly, 18, 119–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harding, E. H., Bellow, J., & Penwell, L. W. (1978). Project aftercare: Followup to residential treatment. Behavioral Disorders, 4, 13–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, R. P., Almeida, M. C., Fabry, B., & Reitz, A. L. (1992). A scale to measure restrictiveness of living environments for troubled children and youths. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 43, 54–58.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, K., Doucette-Gates, A., & Kim, C. (2000). Predicting services utilization with the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale in a sample for a sample of youth with emotional disturbance served by Center for Mental Health Services-funded demonstrations. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 27, 47–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, V. G., Guterman, N. B., Blythe, B. J., & Bronson, D. E. (1989). Intensive aftercare services for children. Social Casework, 70, 397–404.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Irvine, J. (1988). Aftercare services. Child Welfare, 67, 587–594.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leichtman, M. (2001). Facilitating the transition from residential treatment into the community: III. Changing roles of nursing and child care staff. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 19, 27–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leichtman, M., & Leichtman, M. L. (2001). Facilitating the transition from residential treatment into the community: I. The problem. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 19, 21–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leichtman, M., & Leictman, M. L. (2002a). Facilitating the transition from residential treatment into the community: IV. Making use of community resources. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 19, 43–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leichtman, M., & Leictman, M. L. (2002b). Facilitating the transition from residential treatment into the community: V. Substance abuse programs. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 19, 31–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, L. K., Landsverk, J., Horton, M. B., Ganger, W., & Newton, R. R. (2000). The heterogeneity of children and their experiences in kinship care. Child Welfare, 79, 315–334.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, W. W. (1982). Ecological factors in successful residential treatment. Behavioral Disorders, 7, 149–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman, R. E. (2004). Future directions in residential treatment. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 13, 279–294.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Little, M., Kohm, A., & Thompson, R. (2005). The impact of residential placement on child development: Research and policy implications. International Journal of Social Welfare, 14, 200–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillen, C., Auslander, W., Elze, D., White, T., & Thompson, R. (2003). Educational experiences and aspirations of older youth in foster care. Child Welfare, 82, 475–495.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mendes, P., & Moslehuddin, B. (2006). From dependence to interdependence: Towards better outcomes for young people leaving state care. Child Abuse Review, 15, 110–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morreau, L. E., & Burininks, R. H. (1991). Checklist of adaptive living skills. Chicago, IL: Riverside.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, D. H., Portner, J., & Lavee, Y. (1985). Family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scales—Third edition (FACES-III) manual. Minneapolis, MN: Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Lucas, C. P., Dulcan, M. K., & Schwab-Stone, M. E. (2000). NIMH diagnostic interview schedule for children version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): Description, differences from previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnoses. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 28–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stage, S. A. (1999). Predicting adolescents’ discharge status following residential treatment. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 16, 37–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, K. (1991). Long-term residential treatment for children: Introduction. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61, 324–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodcock, R. W., McGrew, K. S., & Mather, N. (2001). Woodcock-Johnson III. Itasca, IL: Riverside.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Jay Ringle, Stephanie Ingram, and Tanya Shaw at the Girls and Boys Town National Research Institute and Jessica Hagaman, Annette Griffith, John Harper, and Bjorn Peterson at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln for their assistance in the coding and entry of youth data. In addition, we would like to thank the children and professionals at Girls and Boys Town for providing us with the opportunity to evaluate youth characteristics at departure.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for At-Risk Children’s Services, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 318 L Barkley, Memorial Center, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA

    Alexandra L. Trout

  2. Girls and Boys Town, Boys Town, NE, USA

    M. Beth Chmelka, Ronald W. Thompson, Patrick Tyler & Robert Pick

  3. Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Michael H. Epstein

Authors
  1. Alexandra L. Trout
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Beth Chmelka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ronald W. Thompson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michael H. Epstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Patrick Tyler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Robert Pick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandra L. Trout.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Trout, A.L., Chmelka, M.B., Thompson, R.W. et al. The Departure Status of Youth from Residential Group Care: Implications for Aftercare. J Child Fam Stud 19, 67–78 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9283-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9283-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation