ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the use of child well-being as an outcome for children involved with the child welfare system. It explores the theoretical foundations for the argument and integrates the bio-ecological and public health perspectives so as to give the evidence base coherence. The book offers unprecedented profile of children as they come into the child welfare system based on the evidence from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, the Multistate Foster Care Data Archive and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. It suggests the child welfare system ought to act as an advocate for children in high-risk situations, helping families get the services their children need.
