Leaving home at an early age: parents' decisions about out-of-home placement for young children with complex medical needs.
Qualitative methodology was used to examine the circumstances leading to the realization of the need for out-of-home placement. A series of indepth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 parents who had made the decision for out-of-home placement. Results indicated that these parents went through a similar process: initial feelings of excitement turn to weariness, first thoughts about the need for additional assistance in caring for their child, realization of the need for out-of-home placement based on minimal social supports, difficulties with services, overwhelming medical care, and mounting financial concerns ("triggering events"); need for approval for the decision; and reflections on the decision. Conclusions and implications for practice, policy, and future research are provided.
Bruns
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DA
Early Childhood Programs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*