In-Service Training and Professional Development in Residential Child and Youth Care Settings: A Three Sector Comparison in Ontario

Abstract

This article explores the core themes and issues related to in-service training and professional development opportunities and practices in residential care settings in Ontario, Canada. Inventories of training activities were developed for three different sectors: children's mental health, child welfare, and private residential service providers. Using a qualitative research approach that involved face-to-face interviews with executive leaders and human resource specialists from 26 agencies from across Ontario, 3 core themes emerged: first, training activities in most residential care facilities are by and large ad hoc and uncoordinated; second, there is no cross-sector collaboration on such initiatives in spite of obvious commonalities in training needs; and third, although many individual agencies have made considerable efforts in developing meaningful and consistent training regiments for their residential child and youth workers, there is very little training emphasis on the issues entailed in life space interventions and living with children and youth.