Out-of-home placement of children: Selected issues and prospects for the future

This paper describes the recent trends in the child welfare and children's mental health systems and their implications for public policy. Despite the rhetoric calling for preserving families and treating children and youth in their own homes, the best available evidence indicates that the rates of out-of-home placement are increasing at an alarming rate. More concerted and comprehensive efforts are needed if this trend is to be reversed in the near future.