Characteristics of successful family-care parents

Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful family-care parents who served mentally retarded/developmentally disabled children and adults residing in a county in upstate New York were examined. Location (urban vs. rural) did not significantly discriminate successful and unsuccessful homes. Successful family caretakers were, however, generally older and more frequently were active in Protestant churches. When examined from the perspective of Holland's vocational orientation, successful woman caretakers most often came from the Conventional category, whereas men most often fit Holland's Realistic classification. Implications of these findings for family-care provider recruitment were discussed.