THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THESE GIRLS, THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR BEHAVIOR, AND THEIR USE OF AGENCY SERVICES TO DEVISE MORE RATIONAL APPROACHES TO THEIR CARE. DATA FROM AGENCY FILES WERE COLLECTED ON ALL GIRLS UP TO THEIR 16TH BIRTHDAY, AND 17.5 PERCENT OF THE GIRLS WERE INTERVIEWED. THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE GIRLS WHEN FIRST PLACED IN AN AGENCY'S CARE WAS 14 YEARS, 1 MONTH. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT IN PLACEMENTS RANGED FROM LESS THAN 10 WEEKS TO 346 WEEKS AND DEPENDED ON THE TYPE OF PLACEMENT AND OTHER FACTORS. MOST OF THE GIRLS' FAMILIES WERE WHITE, CANADIAN-BORN, AND ENGLISH-SPEAKING. THE CONDITIONS MOST PREVALENT IN THE GIRLS' FAMILIES WERE SEPARATION OF PARENTS, CONFLICT WITH THE LAW, ALCOHOL ABUSE BY ONE OR BOTH PARENTS, AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE GIRLS WAS AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN BEING TAKEN INTO CARE; FOR ALL BUT FIVE GIRLS, SOME DEVIANT BEHAVIOR (USUALLY RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME) WAS REPORTED PRIOR TO THEIR FIRST PLACEMENT. ALTHOUGH STATUS OFFENSES WERE MORE PREVALENT, A MAJORITY OF THESE GIRLS ALSO COMMITTED ONE OR MORE INDICTABLE OFFENSES, SUCH AS PROPERTY CRIMES AND ASSAULTS. INTERVENTIONS WERE OF THREE KINDS: (1) SERVICES PROVIDED ON AN OUTPATIENT OR AMBULATORY BASIS, INCLUDING CASEWORK, COUNSELING, AND INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY THERAPY; (2) SERVICES DESIGNED TO CHANGE THE GIRLS' ENVIRONMENT; AND (3) EMERGENCY SERVICES INTENDED TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY RELIEF OR A SAFE HAVEN FOLLOWING A CRISIS. THE GIRLS MADE EXTENSIVE USE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES BOTH PRIOR TO AND AFTER THEIR FIRST PLACEMENT. A COMPARISON OF 24 GIRLS COMMITTED TO TRAINING SCHOOL WITH 15 GIRLS SENT TO PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT CENTERS REVEALS THAT BOTH GROUPS SHOWED MORE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR FOLLOWING THEIR INITIAL PLACEMENT. THE FAILURE RATE OF FIRST PLACEMENT SUGGESTS THAT MOST COMMUNITY SERVICES ARE UNABLE TO MEET THE GIRLS' NEEDS. CLINICAL AND LEGAL EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THESE SIMILAR GIRLS, WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF NEGLECT, DEPRIVATION, AND ABUSE, ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN UNSATISFACTORY IN THE ABSENCE OF A BROAD SOCIETAL COMMITMENT TO THE NEEDS AND RIGHTS OF CHILDREN. TABULAR DATA AND 19 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.