Home Care Unit (c. 1980 - )

Home care units were used by the government as a form of care for state children from the early 1980s. The term referred to the placing of children in the homes of residential care workers who became responsible for their care. The system originated in the United Kingdom where it was regarded as a cost saving option. These special units were used for young people who did not fit into programs in the new assessment or therapeutic units developed from 1979. This included children who had been in care for a long period of time and who could not return home, be placed in foster care or in a non-government home without severe emotional disruption.