Decades of research show that high school dropouts are more likely than graduates to commit crimes, abuse drugs and alcohol, have children out of wedlock, earn low wages, be unemployed, and suffer from poor health. The ChalleNGe program, currently operating in 27 states, is a residential program coupled with post-residential mentoring that seeks…

Typically, adolescence is a time when individuals begin to make consequential, life-framing decisions. However, much of the decision-making literature focuses on high-risk decisions, such as the use of drugs and alcohol, while much less is known about how adolescents make positive decisions, for example, regarding their educational or career…

Building a shared vision in an organization that serves children is not a simple task. While the leaders may have an end in mind, it is imperative that all stakeholders feel ownership of that end goal. That can only be accomplished if the process itself reflects the vision. This article explains the process and practical strategies for building a…

This manual is designed to provide a review of the Residential Youth Center (RYC) program. In 1968, the Department of Labor funded the Training and Research Institute for Residential Youth Centers, Inc. (TRI-RYC) which attempts to improve the quality of life in the urban community. Such centers use a model that includes the following components:…

This report describes and details the experiences of the Training and Research Institute for Residential Youth Centers (TRI-RYC) during its first year of operation. The TRI-RYC was established by the Department of Labor, Office of Special Manpower Programs, to provide a capability for initiating, training staff for, and evaluating the…

This article sets out a rationale and provides a model for family work by group care practitioners. In doing so it points out that practitioners will need to avoid parent blaming attitudes and become family-centered rather than simply child-focused. Thus the critical issues to be addressed are how to ensure that a group care program is from an…