AT-RISK JUVENILES CAN BE PLACED IN THE CARE OF A GUARDIAN OR IN A FOSTER HOME UNDER A WIDE RANGE OF CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CIRCUMSTANCES. MOST PLACEMENTS UNDER CRIMINAL LAW ARE CARRIED OUT BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE. FOSTER HOMES MAY BE PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY, PROVIDE ONLY THE ESSENTIAL MATERIAL NEEDS OF JUVENILES, OR FURNISH A SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT FOR DIFFICULT YOUTHS. SOME FAMILIES BECOME PROFESSIONAL FOSTER CARE PROVIDERS FOR GROUPS OF YOUNGSTERS, BUT SUCH ARRANGEMENTS MAY LEAD TO ABUSES. SPECIAL EFFORTS ARE MADE TO MATCH CHILDREN TO SUITABLE PARENTS. PROPOSED REGULATIONS WOULD PERMIT FOSTER PARENTS TO DENY NATURAL PARENTS OR GUARDIANS ACCESS TO CHILDREN AND ALLOW FOSTER PARENTS TO APPLY FOR GUARDIANSHIP OF THE CHILD. A NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS ALSO EXIST FOR PLACEMENT OF MINORS BY THE COURTS. THESE INCLUDE EIGHT HOMES FOR BOYS AND ONE FOR GIRLS, AS WELL AS SPECIALIZED ESTABLISHMENTS, E.G., RECEPTION CENTERS, OBSERVATION CENTERS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, TREATMENT INSTITUTIONS, FAMILY HOMES, OR BROWNDALE HOUSES. A NUMBER OF JUVENILE HOMES HAVE BEEN CLOSED SINCE 1975 AS THE RESULT OF A TREND TOWARD OTHER FORMS OF PLACEMENT. IN FACT, THE NUMBER OF ALL KINDS OF CHILD PROTECTION PLACEMENTS HAVE DROPPED CONSIDERABLY SINCE 1966. HOWEVER, THE RELATIVE NUMBER OF PLACEMENTS IN FOSTER HOMES HAS INCREASED, AS HAS THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY PLACEMENTS BY PARENTS. THE LENGTH OF TIME SPENT IN INSTITUTIONS HAS ALSO DROPPED. IN GENERAL, AUTHORITIES PREFER TO PLACE JUVENILES WITH FOSTER PARENTS RATHER THAN INSTITUTIONS AND IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD FROM WHICH THEY ORIGINATED. JUVENILES ARE PLACED IN HOMES AFTER A SELECTION PROCESS BY A PLACEMENT AGENCY AND BY THE HOME STAFF. JUVENILES ARE NOT USUALLY MOVED DIRECTLY FROM THEIR HOME ENVIRONMENTS TO FOSTER HOMES; INSTEAD, THEY ARE FIRST PLACED IN INSTITUTIONS TO NEUTRALIZE THE DIFFICULT FAMILY SITUATION. INTELLECTUALLY DEFICIENT OR PSYCHOLOGICALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN, AS WELL AS CHILDREN WHO WILL NOT ACCEPT FOSTER PARENTS OR WHOSE PARENTS WILL NOT ACCEPT THE CHILD'S PLACEMENT IN A FOSTER HOME ARE USUALLY NOT SUITED TO FOSTER CARE ARRANGEMENTS. IN THE FUTURE, PLACEMENT DECISIONS WILL PROBABLY NOT BE MADE BY THE JUVENILE JUDGE ALONE BUT WITH ASSISTANCE FROM SPECIAL REGIONAL ADVISORY GROUPS. TABLES AND A 33-ITEM BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE SUPPLIED.