Abstract
We evaluated a program to protect the placements of 23 highly troublesome youth in voluntary residential care by reducing youth-to-staff ratios. Specifically, the youth were moved from regular program homes (with eight youth) to reduced ratio homes (with only four youth) instead of being terminated from the program. We provide evidence supporting the assertion that youth in the study sample were highly troublesome and at high risk for program failure and more restrictive placements. Placement in the reduced ratio homes protected the trouble youths' placement, resulting in an additional mean length of stay of 950 day without an increase in program restrictiveness. Further, the reduced ratio homes increased the chances of success in the program for the study sample to a level equivalent to that for the much less troubled comparison sample. Cost estimates are also provided.
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Friman, P.C., Toner, C., Soper, S. et al. Maintaining placement for troubled and disruptive adolescents in voluntary residential care: The role of reduced youth-to-staff ratio. J Child Fam Stud 5, 337–347 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02234667
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02234667