For girls, the track is paternalistic; the deinstitutionalization of status offenders has meant the transinstitutionalization of girls in mental health and child welfare facilities. These systems appear to perpetuate sexist notions about the appropriateness of girls' behavior that is reminiscent of the double standard employed in the earlier days of the juvenile court. The track experienced by minorities is a racist one. Deinstitutionalization appears to have benefitted only white males, and the growth of the institutionalized minority population in the juvenile justice system can be explained only in terms of a pervasive, systemic racism. Overutilization of the foster care system represents the expression of a policy that is intolerant of and insensitive to the realities of ethnicity and race. A more holistic approach to the placement and treatment of children in the mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems is recommended because children, particularly girls and minority youth, are often poorly served by these organizations. Services and placements tend to reflect institutional interests rather than the needs of children. 88 references and 4 figures