ABSTRACT
The 1980s have brought forth continually increasing demands on child and family service agencies for in-care placements for adolescents. Along with this growth in demand, there has been growing concern about the utility and cost effectiveness of expensive residential care/treatment facilities. This, combined with the shrinking resources available for in-care placements, has forced many child welfare agencies to look toward developing alternatives to placement of adolescents. Likewise, the recent passage of The Young Offenders Act in Canada has brought about increased demands for community custody options.
