A child's relationships after admission to residential care

In a group of 92 children in longterm residential care it was found that those children visited infrequently by their mothers were less likely than those visited frequently or not at all to relate well to their houseparents. That the child's relationship with the houseparents was of considerable significance was suggested by the finding that prolonged contact with the same houseparent was associated with lower rates of psychiatric disorder and deviant behaviour in the child. The implications of these findings for child care practice are discussed.