Effectiveness of child welfare interventions - issues and challenges

About the book Current government policy is explicitly aimed at increasing opportunities for all children and improving the outcomes for our most vulnerable children. A fundamental question asked by politicians, policy makers and professionals alike is what do we know about makes a difference? Which services help and in what circumstances? Which are valued by families? Are services effective for children with additional needs because of disability or ethnicity or other factors in their lives? Answers to these questions are crucial to direct resources where they can bring about tangible improvements in children’s outcomes. This volume provides the first comprehensive review of research evidence from the UK and USA on the effectiveness of selected child welfare interventions. It addresses the challenges of measuring effectiveness in child welfare and explains the policy context for child welfare service delivery. Leading international experts summarise the evidence of effectiveness in each core area, comment upon the nature of the evidence available and provide critical judgement as to what messages should be taken from the the body of evidence. The implications for policy, practice and service delivery as well as for future research are explored. This book is essential reading for policy makers, practitioners and commissioners of services in child welfare as well as students and researchers