Hans Göran Eriksson is Associate Professor and Researcher at the Regional Child Protection Research Unit, Norwegian University of Science and Techology, Trondheim, Norway and Torill Tjerflaat is Director of the Regional Child Protection Research Unit, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Allforsk, Norway.

• Contents: Introduction, Hans Göran Eriksson. Challenges, Innovations and Education: Elements in Anti-Oppressive Practice: Anti-oppressive practice, why bother?, Jane Prior; Changing the horizon: client feedback as a driving force behind innovations in residential child and youth care, Erik J. Knorth, John P.M. Meijers, Arianne Brouwer, Eek Jansen and Hans Du Prie; The development of a residential unit working with sexually aggressive young men, Andrew Kendrick, Richard Mitchell and Mark Smith; Family life educator training as the key to effective family development work, Rosa Heim. Foster Care: Preparing For, Practising and Living in the Midst of: Preparing children for foster care: exploring the role and value of a preparatory residential placement, Cliona Murphy; Nadomak Sunca: alternative foster care in Croatia, Odilia van Manen-Rojnic; Living with foster siblings - what impact has fostering on the biological children of foster carers?, Ingrid Höier and Monica Nordenfors. You Get It or You Do Not: Mainstreaming in Education, Ethnic Origin and Competency Level: Including youngsters from residential care in mainstream schools - is it possible?, Arne Tveit and Bjørn Arnesen; Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice: working with ethnic minority children in foster and residential care, Toyin Okitikpi; Children's needs for self-expressive play (with the 'forgotten group' as a special case), presented as an important issue for residential care, Brian Ashley. Research, a Useful Tool in Residential and Foster Care: Discovering what makes a 'well-enough' functioning residential group care setting for children and youth: constructing a theoretical framework and responding to critiques of grounded theory method, James P. Anglin; An evaluation of abused children's behaviour following intervention: a follow-up study in Greece, Helen Agathonos-Georgopoulou, Kevin D. Browne and Jasmin Sarafidou; The rights and wrongs of ethnographic research in a youth residential setting, Tarja Pösö; Index.

’This book is a must for all those who, in practice as well as in research, wish to follow recent developments in child care. A number of new initiatives in foster and residential care are discussed by the elite of European authorities. The attention that is paid to research as a useful tool in child care makes this book especially important.’ Professor Dr W. Hellinckx, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium ’...an essential publication...reflects important practical experiences as well as empirically based evidence as prerequisites for political and practical work within the field. From a research point of view the book can serve as a guide in the perspective of working designs and meaningful interpretation within this important, but difficult and complex field that child-welfare and child-protection is.’ Professor Erik Larsen, Sør-Tøndelag University College, Norway ’...there is much in this book that will be of interest to social workers everywhere. It asks important questions about the role of residential care in social welfare today and provides useful comparative information.’ Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare