NCJ Number
82408
Date Published
1981
Length
25 pages
Annotation
The report reviews the history of group homes, community relations and management concerns, staffing patterns, program modalities and services, costs, and future potential.
Abstract
Group homes were firmly rooted in foster family care and institutional satellite programs for decades, but their existence was neither as frequent nor as visible as at present. Strategies group homes have employed to enter a neighborhood include moving in without any prior notice, using classic community organization techniques with careful preparation of key community persons and organizations, and keeping a low profile while working with a few key leaders and isolating the opposition. Most group home managers choose the third strategy first, believing it to offer the highest probability of success, but experience shows the first strategy is just as often effective. Different agencies representing child welfare organizations and corrections have issued standards for group homes, and State licensing requirements have also emerged. Private and public group homes are administered differently and have different staffing patterns. The high rate of staff turnover is the major problem of group home managers. Thus, administrators want to attract and retain career group home parents. Other information is given on group homes' cash flow, accountability, size, costs versus other alternatives, contingency management, group meetings, family counseling practices, and evaluations. Overall, the use of group homes appears to be declining. About 80 references are appended.