In volume 692 of The ANNALS, special editors Lawrence M. Berger and Kristen S. Slack bring together scholars of child welfare “to increase awareness among scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners of the size, scope, and functions of child welfare services in the United States.” Though the child welfare system in the United States has the goal of “promot[ing] safety, permanency … and well-being for children experiencing or at risk of child maltreatment,” there is actually not one system, but instead many systems, depending on the state or county in which one lives, and these systems have considerable variation in policies and practice. The authors in this volume of The ANNALS draw on empirical research to propose reforms to the child welfare system(s) so that child welfare in the United States can truly promote the safety and well-being of all children, especially those who historically have been, and remain, disadvantaged in American society and its child welfare system.
