NCJ Number
63005
Date Published
1978
Length
50 pages
Annotation
FAMILY GROUP HOMES (FGH), PART OF FLORIDA'S COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT FOR DELINQUENT YOUTHS, CONTRACT PRIVATE FAMILIES TO PROVIDE FOSTER CARE. PRESENTED IS ON FGH EVALUATION.
Abstract
THE FGH PROVIDES STRUCTURED FAMILY-LIFE AND SUPPORTIVE SUPERVISION IN SUBURBAN, RURAL, AND URBAN HOMES, ONE TO EIGHT YOUTHS TO A HOME. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED MAINLY FOR YOUNGER YOUTHS HAVING COMMITTED MINOR OR STATUS OFFENSES. COUNSELING IN THE FGH PROGRAM FOCUSES ON HELPING THE YOUTHS UNDERSTAND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIONS. YOUTHS ATTEND SCHOOLS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, ALL DESIGNED TO FOSTER SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT. DATA INFORMATION FOR THIS REPORT WAS GOTTEN FROM A DATA FILE OF FGH YOUTHS, AFTERCARE REPORTS, GROUP HOME COUNSELORS, EVALUATIONS OF CLIENTS, AND A FLORIDA YOUTH SERVICES FILE CHECKED FOR CLIENT RECIDIVISM. IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1977, 196 YOUTHS WERE PLACED IN FGH, AVERAGING 14.6 YEARS OF AGE. BLACKS REPRESENTED 43 PERCENT OF PLACEMENTS, AND MALES 75 PERCENT. FIRST COMMITMENTS ACCOUNT FOR 80 PERCENT OF PLACEMENTS. AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY WAS 91 DAYS. WHILE 67 PERCENT OF PLACES HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING SCHOOL BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS BEFORE ENTRY INTO FGH, ONLY 33 PERCENT WERE EXPERIENCING THEM AT EXIT FROM FGH. COUNSELORS REVEALED THAT BEHAVIOR IMPROVEMENT AMONG FGH YOUTHS WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, AND 67 PERCENT OF THE YOUTHS REPORTED POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR FOSTER PARENTS. THE FGH TREATMENT PROCESS, AND AFTERCARE INFORMATION ON THE YOUTHS ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. RECIDIVISM AFTER 18 MONTHS WAS 32 PERCENT FOR FEMALES AND 41 PERCENT FOR MALES. COUNSELING DURING THE FGH PROGRAM HAS IMPROVED OVER PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT AFTERCARE SERVICES ARE VERY LIMITED. TABLES AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED.