Understanding the aims and tensions of child welfare services

Richard P. Barth, Jill Duerr Berrick, Melissa Jonson-Reid, Antonio R. Garcia, Johanna K.P. Greeson, John Gyourko and Brett Drake

Chapter 1 in Understanding Child Welfare, 2026, pp 1-16 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter introduces some of the fundamentals of child welfare, orients readers to foundational child welfare services (CWS) designs, and highlights significant challenges that compromise states’ abilities to realize child protection and family strengthening imperatives. Although there is broad support for the idea of child protection, there are deep disagreements about the nature and scope of CWS. These include questions concerning the threshold when CWS should engage with families, what types of services and supports CWS should offer, which data should be used to help guide decision-making, the prioritization of CWS responsibilities, and other key considerations. These issues are initially introduced in this chapter and explored in greater depth throughout the book.

Keywords: Child welfare services; Child welfare reform; Maltreatment; Foster care; Critical debates in child welfare (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035359110
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