[Health pedagogic foster families. A model for the rehabilitation of handicapped children from families at-risk].

Rehabilitation of retarded children puts an enormous strain on parents. Families with various social risk factors are frequently not able to cope with these problems. Admission to institutes is a frequent consequence. Since 1982 47 mentally and psychologically handicapped children from families with various psychosocial problems were admitted to foster families. Foster parents were carefully selected and educated by a team of physicians, psychologists and social workers and given continuing supervision. Children were evaluated by medical and psychological testing: The majority of children showed significant improvement of performance in psychologic testing, alleviation in their psychosocial as well as medical problems. Numbers and duration of hospital admissions were substantially reduced. The overall condition of these children was markedly improved by foster families.