Adoption research commonly uses parents' reports of satisfaction when examining openness in adoption arrangements. This qualitative study aimed to fill a gap in the adoption research by using adolescents' voices to gain a better understanding of their adoption experiences. Adopted adolescents (n = 152) were interviewed concerning their…

Through a survey of conference attendees, this study identified major goals and objectives for youth camping programs. Implications are drawn for the future of camping as a recreational, educational, and therapeutic tool of social institutions. (SJL)

Emphasizes the need to view adolescents and adults as an interacting unit and to avoid overspecialization of social services aimed at particular age groups. Programs should be restructured to increase youth-adult interaction, giving them more decision-making power, and also more responsibility. (NH)

Presents model of adolescent parenting, emphasizing multiple influences that social support has on maternal personality, health and nutritional status, cognitive readiness for parenting, and actual parenting behavior and child development. Concludes life span perspective is useful in evaluating teenage mother's social support needs and individual…

The focus of a child caring facility had changed from caring exclusively for orphans to serving a broader population of abandoned, abused, and neglected children. Because no effective marketing tool existed within this child caring agency to make agency identification and information readily accessible to county departments of social services…

During the 1960's, there emerged innovative human service programs for youth. Among the actual differences in these programs compared to their older, established human service agencies was (is) the prominent position of the social value of client anonymity. This anonymity is examined in an attempt to understand its role. (RC)

The existence of subgroupings among runaways and whether or not there are particular characteristics that can be associated with the subgroups was investigated with 308 adolescents whose records were chosen from a runaway housing program. Ss referrals were reviewed and inventoried into three areas: runaways, castaways, and agency assists. Among…

Illustrates some important differences between interdisciplinary and ecological perspectives on meeting the needs of adolescents experiencing emotional difficulties. Highlights use of ecosystemic models in residential and school facilities and enumerates areas where ecologically based changes might be appropriate. Outlines operational guidelines…

Where one of the parties is under 18, California law since November, 1970 has required premarital counseling before receipt of a marriage license. This article describes the program, established to meet this need based on a model of education about problems of everyday living. (Author)

Many researchers have begun to investigate juvenile justice as a series of interdependent treatment and punishment decisions made by different professionals. To test the effects of resource availability and agency type on judgments of amenability to treatment, court personnel (N=49), social service workers (N=66), and community mental health…

This book describes Boysville's 5-year effort to design, implement, and evaluate an agency-based computerized management information, program evaluation, and clinical decision-making system, BOMIS (Boysville Management Information System). The goal of BOMIS is the integration of the four intervention programs, through the collection, analysis,…

Reviews data on the skill level and readiness for independence of adolescents who are placed in the substitute care system in Washington State. Findings suggest that many of these youth do well in terms of skill learning and performance, and are prepared for independence upon emancipation. Nevertheless, remedial training is suggested to better…

Responsibility, self-care, supportive environment, and employment were analyzed as significant indicators of readiness for independent living for adolescents in foster care. Results indicated that school performance, mental health problems, hours worked per week, total number of placements, contact with father, ethnicity, and caretaker perceptions…

Research and experience from throughout the child welfare system have established that maintaining a strong connection between children and their families is critical to ensure positive outcomes for children in out-of-home care. Ways in which administrators and managers in out-of-home care agencies bring a family focus to their policy,…

This paper reports on a practicum designed to teach foster-care caseworkers how to improve the specificity and clarity of item definition on Individual Service Plans (ISPs) for children in foster care. Most agencies require that within 30 days of accepting a child for foster care, agency caseworkers must complete an ISP which establishes goals for…