In the United States, there are nearly 400,000 children who have been placed in the foster care system each year, according to the article. While most of these children will be placed into family settings, some will be placed into group homes, which is considered to be a more expensive and restrictive option. According to recent research, the long-term outcomes for these children placed in group homes are also markedly different than the typical long-term outcomes for children in other parts of the foster care system. This new study explores the demographics of those children who are placed into out-of-home care and the effects of group home placement on different populations of youth.
