Placement decisions and disparities among aboriginal groups: an application of the decision making ecology through multi-level analysis.

Objective: This paper examined the relative influence of clinical and organizational characteristics on the decision to place a child in out-of-home care at the conclusion of a child maltreatment investigation. It tested the hypothesis that extraneous factors, specifically, organizational characteristics, impact the decision to place a child in out-of-home care. A secondary aim was to identify possible decision making influences related to disparities in placement decisions tied to Aboriginal children.

Getting a grip on systems of care and child welfare using opposable thumbs.

The purpose of this response paper is to discuss issues raised by two of the components of the definition of systems of care proffered by Hodges et al. [Hodges, S., Ferreira, K.