THREE UNIDENTIFIED CHILD GUIDANCE CLINICS AND TWO UNIDENTIFIED COURT CLINICS COOPERATED IN THE STUDY. INTAKE DATA WERE COLLECTED ON ALL APPLICANTS FOR SERVICE AT EACH OF THE CLINICS DURING 1962. THE AGENCIES RESEMBLE MANY OF THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN BASIC MODE OF OPERATION; THUS THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY AGREE WITH THOSE OF OTHER STUDIES OF HEALTH AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS. IT WAS FOUND THAT CHILD-GUIDANCE AGENCIES ARE NOT HANDLING THE VERY DIFFICULT CASES OF THOSE IN GREATEST NEED OF HELP. A RELATIVELY SMALL PROPORTION OF LOWER CLASS CHILDREN APPLY TO THE CHILD GUIDANCE AGENCIES, WHEREAS THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF COURT CLINIC CASES INVOLVE CHILDREN FROM LOWER CLASS FAMILIES. ALTHOUGH DELINQUENCY REACHES A PEAK AT THE AGE OF 14, THERE IS A GAP IN CHILD GUIDANCE SERVICES TO THOSE BETWEEN 11 TO 14 YEARS OF AGE. CONTRARY TO WHAT MIGHT BE EXPECTED, CLIENTS EXHIBITING BEHAVIOR WHICH VIOLATES THE LAW ARE NOT NECESSARILY GIVEN PRIORITY IN TREATMENT. ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE JUVENILE OFFENDERS REFERRED TO COURT CLINICS ARE NOT ACCEPTED FOR TREATMENT. MOREOVER, IN VIEW OF EXISTING STAFF COMPLEMENTS, THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES, AND PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION, CHILD GUIDANCE AND COURT CLINIC PERSONNEL CANNOT GIVE COMPLETE SERVICE TO THE MAJORITY OF APPLICANTS. BETTER USE OF EXISTING AGENCIES IS URGENTLY NEEDED--MORE EVALUATION, PLANNING, AND DELINEATION OF RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS FULLER COORDINATION OF EXISTING SERVICES AND RESOURCES WITH THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. TABULAR DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)