With contributions ranging from academic and professional theorists and policy developers to independent social workers, this book explores the development of family-centered services, the processes by which these services are implemented, the problems the field now faces, and prospects for the future. Multi-faceted examinations of the field show how family-centered services and child well-being can be linked on a daily basis to better the lives of both parents and children.

During the past twenty-five years the emphasis on reintroducing the concept of “family” into child welfare services has had a profound impact. It has reformed and shaped the design and delivery of interventions by public social service agencies and nonprofit organizations. We now have programs such as family-based services, family-centered services, family preservation services, family support services, and intensive family preservation services. The larger structure, within which this mix of programs is implemented, is no longer viewed as just being child focused, and instead is now often defined as the child and family services system. The interjection of family has also altered the way in which curriculum content is written and instruction is provided in social work education programs. Curricula increasingly include courses that do not separate children's issues from family issues. Finally, an increasing interest in the family context has changed the nature of research and scholarship by focusing on vulnerable families and young people at risk of or actually experiencing endangerment or maltreatment, as well as the system charged with the responsibility for meeting their needs. Greater numbers of academics have chosen to pursue lines of inquiry around the intersection of family and children, and professional preparation programs have established centers . . .