The child welfare system in the United States is a complex one-in and of itself and in its intricate association with a number of other systems that directly impact children and families. This text does an excellent job of covering child welfare system national policies, the family and social issues they give rise to, and their implications for services to involved children, adolescents, and families. -- Leslie Hollingsworth, University of Michigan Gerald P. Mallon and Peg McCartt Hess have put together a comprehensive handbook that contains crucial material for individuals and organizations seeking information on the most contemporary child welfare issues in the United States. It provides hands-on, practice-oriented material while staying connected to the most relevant, legislatively driven policy issues and the associated front-line realities faced by those intimately connected to the field of child welfare. -- Lorraine R. Tempel, Hunter College School of Social Work Mallon and Hess offer an extraordinarily comprehensive account of child welfare practice, policy, and programming in this updated version of their 2005 classic... Highly recommended. Choice