GROUP HOMES ORIGINATED IN EUROPE AND AMERICA DURING THE 1940'S. IN EUROPE, SUCH HOMES AROSE TO CARE FOR CHILDREN SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. IN AMERICA, GROUP HOMES WERE FIRST USED FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED. THE FIRST APPLICATION OF COMMUNITY-BASED GROUP HOME TREATMENT FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WAS IN NEW JERSEY IN 1952. THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS INITIATED THE FIRST STATE GROUP HOME PROGRAM FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IN 1965. SINCE THAT TIME, GROUP HOMES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN AT LEAST 37 STATES AND NOW NUMBER OVER 1,000. THE FIRST GROUP HOME IN WEST VIRGINIA GREW OUT OF CHILD WELFARE NEEDS. THE MAJOR IMPETUS TO GROUP HOME PROGRAMS IN WEST VIRGINIA CAME UNDER THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968. THE GOVERNOR'S COMMITTEE BEGAN PLANNING FOR SUCH HOMES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT IN 1970. PASSAGE OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT OF 1974 FURTHER AIDED THIS MOVEMENT. THE SUGAR CREEK CHILDREN'S CENTER, THE FIRST REAL GROUP HOME FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IN WEST VIRGINIA, RECEIVED FUNDING IN 1972. ADDITIONAL GROUP HOMES STARTED SINCE THEN INCLUDE THE FOUR GROUP HOMES RUN BY DAVIS STUART, INC., THE NEW DAWN YOUTH CENTER, THE BROOKE-HANCOCK GROUP HOME, THE MASON COUNTY GROUP HOME, THE CHILDREN'S HOME OF WHEELING, THE FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION, THE LOUIS J. WUCHNER HOME FOR YOUTH, AND THE JACKSON COUNTY GROUP HOME. TABLES OF HOMES, THEIR LOCATIONS AND FUNDING, AND A GROUP HOME PROFILE FOR 1977 ARE PRESENTED. MAJOR ISSUES FACING THE GOVERNOR'S COMMITTEE ON GROUP HOMES INCLUDE TREATMENT MODELS AND APPROACHES, LENGTH OF STAY WITH THE GREATEST EFFICACY, COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS IN THE DELINQUENT'S OWN OR ANOTHER COMMUNITY, FINANCING, PROGRAM EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY, COST EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SMALL GROUP HOME MODEL, AND FINALLY, DEVELOPMENT OF AN OVERALL SYSTEM OF CHILD CARE IN THE STATE. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.