Looking ahead: Toward a smaller, smarter, stronger child welfare system

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

Chapter 9 in Understanding Child Welfare, 2026, pp 170-192 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Child welfare services are at a crossroads, facing both persistent challenges and unprecedented opportunities for transformation. This chapter offers a forward-looking vision grounded in evidence, equity, and lived experience. It explores how a more focused, prevention-oriented system—one rooted in community collaboration, relational supports, and integrated services—can better protect children while respecting family autonomy. Possibilities for innovative adaptations of current adoption policies are advanced. Through policy innovation, data-driven practice, and renewed commitments to relational and cultural responsiveness, the chapter outlines actionable strategies to make child welfare smaller, smarter, and more just.

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