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The recourse to psychotropic medications among children and adolescents constitutes a relatively recent phenomenon which has not yet been carefully studied. In North America, a high proportion of the children given such medications are placed in rehabilitation centers (or « centers for readaptation » in Quebec.) This catalogue of studies aims at better understanding the context which surrounds the prescription of psychotropic medications for this specific population. The text is structured in the following manner: first, we present a psychopathological portrait of the children who are placed in foster care by virtue of the law for the protection of minors. Then, the use of mental health services by these youngsters is examined. The development of biological conceptualizations of mental health is also addressed. In sum, by taking account of the clinical, social and medical context which is specific to these rehabilitation centers, the stakes surrounding the mental health of children in placement and the services offered them are analysed so as to better understand why there is such a heavy use of psychotropic medications.