Public Services for Families with Mentally Handicapped Children, 1992

The purpose of the study was to shed light on the need for and use of public assistance in families with mentally disabled children and adolescents living at home, in relation to the HVPU reform. The survey, conducted through questionnaires, focused on the need for and use of respite care, support contact arrangements, help from relatives and friends, alternative housing solutions, membership in parent associations, views on the reform, daycare services, school services, leisure home arrangements, views on public services, financial benefits, parents' employment situations, family composition, and type of disability. The sample consisted of families with mentally disabled children aged 0-20 years in selected municipalities. The gross sample was 740, and the net sample was 486.