The goals, objectives, and philosophy of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) are outlined in this article. Three specific mechanisms of the MTFC approach known to reduce conflict in the therapeutic milieu and to contribute to successful outcomes for youth and their families are described: a proactive approach to reducing problem behavior, the creation and maintenance of a consistent and reinforcing environment for the participating youth, and the separation and stratification of staff roles. Controlled outcome research comparing MTFC to other community treatment alternatives with similar populations of troubled youth are also described.Additionally, the results of preliminary research evaluating the impact of an MTFC model adapted to meet the needs of maltreated preschool-age children at entry to foster care are presented.
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