ABSTRACT
The Children Act 1989 places a general duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area and to promote their upbringing by their families, as long as this is consistent with their welfare. Considering the child protection studies as a whole produces a composite finding that at the time of the initial enquiry only two-fifths (38%) of children whose families enter the child protection process live with both their birth. Fathers' involvement in the households fluctuates. More fathers are living at home at the start of enquiries than later. The evidence about fathers living in these households paints a picture of multiple, often interacting, stressors. The studies give details of the reasons for the child's name being placed on the Child Protection Register, including the type of maltreatment suffered and the relationship of the known perpetrator.
