Children's Return to the Family as a Stressor

Abstract

Basing their study on a sample of 127 parents with children placed in residential care in Hong Kong, the authors examine factors that can contribute to parental stress upon the children s return to their families. The findings show that the families generally lacked the resources needed to enable parents to shoulder their childcare responsibilities. It also highlights the importance of discharge planning and decision-making which should take into account the practical difficulties parents to face upon their children s return.