Article type: Original Research
1 December 2015
Volume 40 Issue 4
Article type: Original Research
1 December 2015
Volume 40 Issue 4
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Therapeutic Residential Care: Different Population, Different Purpose, Different Costs
Frank Ainsworth1 * 
Patricia Hansen2
Affiliations
1 James Cook University–Social Work and Human Services, Twonsville, Australia
2 Hansen Legal, Parramatta, NSW, Australia
Correspondence
*Dr Frank Ainsworth
Contributions
Frank Ainsworth -
Patricia Hansen -
Frank Ainsworth1 *
Patricia Hansen2
Affiliations
1 James Cook University–Social Work and Human Services, Twonsville, Australia
2 Hansen Legal, Parramatta, NSW, Australia
Correspondence
*Dr Frank Ainsworth
Part of Special Series: Out of Home Care-Reflecting on the Past and Envisioning Future Developments
CITATION: Ainsworth F., & Hansen P. (2015). Therapeutic Residential Care: Different Population, Different Purpose, Different Costs. Children Australia, 40(4), 1995. doi.org/10.1017/cha.2015.47
Abstract
At the present time in Australia, there is much discussion about attachment and trauma-informed therapeutic residential care (TRC) programmes. The discussion includes a continuing reference to the high cost of this form of care by comparison to foster family care. This comparison assumes that both services serve the same population which this paper disputes. The emergence of TRC as one option in the continuum of care also raises issues about how a residential care (RC) workforce might be educated and trained for these programmes. This is particularly important given the mental health and behavioural difficulties the population of young people referred to TRC programmes, frequently display.