Parental reasons for out-of-home placement of children with severe handicaps.

Sixty-three parents of children with severe handicaps who were recently placed out of the home were interviewed regarding their reasons for placement. Parents' perceived daily stress, the child's low level of functioning, and child behavior problems as strong influences on the placement decision. Lack of appropriate supportive services were only moderately influential in the decision. Chi-square analyses revealed some relation between specific reasons for placement and the child's age when placed. Implications of these findings for service providers were discussed.