ABSTRACT
The conventional wisdom about residential care assumes that residential care of all types is an inherently bad form of care. It is not only inferior care, but it also causes actual psychological damage to children and youth and thus should only be used as a last resort or even eliminated. Foster care is always superior to residential care. The conventional wisdom is that these assumptions are backed by a substantial body of research with children of all ages, across the world. It is this research that has led to calls by several professional organizations to minimize or even eliminate residential care for dealing with children and youth who cannot live with their families of origin. This book challenges each of these assumptions, not based on passionate reports of individual experience, ideology, or assertion, but with a careful, critical analysis of the available empirical research. It is important to challenge the conventional wisdom because it has inappropriately driven funding, policies, legislation, and services. What to do with children who cannot live with their families of origin is an international problem. It is a complex problem. Solutions like “families are always good” and “residential care is always bad” are simplistic and inappropriate. They do not help children and youth to grow.
