NCJ Number
228412
Journal
Residential Treatment for Children and Youth Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: July-September 2009 Pages: 161-180
Date Published
July 2009
Length
20 pages
Annotation
The core themes and issues of private residential service delivery for children and youth in Ontario, Canada were explored.
Abstract
The results of the study indicate no obvious reasons to dismiss or be critical of private residential care. However, both private and public residential care in Ontario were under-regulated, which resulted in significant variations in terms of organizational structures, the quality of staffing and training, accountability and transparency, and ultimately the effectiveness of specific residential services. The private residential sector has grown steadily over the past two decades; however, it is now experiencing some major challenges, which are driven by changes to the child welfare system and by an often negative public and professional perception. In Ontario, Canada, well over 50 percent of children and youth placed in staffed group care are so placed within the private sector. The objectives of this study were to gain a better understanding of the core themes and issues entailed in private sector residential care. Specifically, the focus of the analysis reflected two themes. First, the private sector was examined in relation to ethics, transparency, and accountability. Second, the analysis sought to deconstruct the organizational structures of private sector operators. References