ABSTRACT
One group of cases which clearly formed a separate entity were those in which problems arising from residential or foster care were considered to be most outstanding. Most of the children had been in care from infancy and had come from very severely disrupted family backgrounds, but almost by definition the crises and traumatic events of their early childhood had receded into the background. Although far more children lived at home with at least one natural parent than in the settled long-term care group, the problems were by no means early or transient ones. In many families several children showed signs of disturbance, and in discussing families with the workers concerned one soon learnt not to concentrate on the designated client only, since as a rule other siblings had at some time been the subject of the Department’s caring functions, or soon would be.
