ABSTRACT
The role of the federal government in youth policy in general, and residential education policy in particular, has been limited to targeted programs that have been subject to change and instability, with the exception of the large scale, publicly funded Job Corps program. State and local governments have been considered to be the most appropriate governmental units to develop and implement residential policies. Services have tended to be fragmentary and vary widely in quality. Residential treatment programs have received the broadest financial support, whereas developmentally oriented residential education programs are still very isolated, and it is not likely that the federal government will have a strong presence in supporting them. But the government can play an important role in facilitating information exchange about the best practices, providing for 100technical assistance, helping with networking, and supporting basic research about residential education, most of which is operated through the private sector.
