Family Reunification Following Shelter Placement: Child, Family, and Program Correlates

Factors associated with family reunification following a short-term stay in a shelter for runaway & troubled youth were examined. Children who were not reunified with their caretakers following their stay reported more family problems, appeared to be at a higher risk of suicide, as measured by the Suicide Probability Scale (Cull & Gill, 1982), & stayed longer in the shelter. Implications for delivery of shelter service programs are discussed. (9 refs.)