This report explores the need for and barriers to the use of mental health services among grandparent-caregiver families. Specifically, this study sought to determine: (1) how children in their grandparents' care are doing, and what their grandparents see as their service needs; (2) how the caregivers' needs--particularly unmet health or mental…

Delineates a foster care research agenda that includes improvement of data available for foster care research; permanency planning; multiple services used by foster children; epidemiology of foster care; bonding of children with foster parents; outcomes of foster care; mental health service provision to foster children; relationship of service…

This paper presents findings from a longitudinal qualitative study of Illinois foster parents that revealed a connection between how they view their financial situation and the ways in which they understand and carry out their roles as foster parents. The study illuminates the child welfare and family system dynamics that underlie the experiences…

In this multi-faceted exploratory study, administrative data were used to examine trends in residential care utilization by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and youth outcomes from 1993 to 2003. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with entry to residential care and…