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692 Annals Am. Acad. Pol. & Soc. Sci. 7 (2020)

handle is hein.cow/anamacp0692 and id is 1 raw text is: The Contemporary U.S. Child Welfare System(s): Overview and Key Challenges By LAWRENCE M. BERGER and KRISTEN S. SLACK This volume of The ANNALS aims to increase aware- ness among scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners of the size, scope, and functions of child welfare ser- vices in the United States. We aim to promote a wider understanding of the broad impacts of child welfare policies and point to ways in which child welfare ser- vices can be better incorporated into cross-cutting social policy debates. The articles in this volume offer concrete recommendations for policies and practices that can reduce child maltreatment, and for systemic approaches-both within the purview of child welfare services and across the broader community and social policy landscape-that can better identify and respond to the needs of children and families in which maltreat- ment has already occurred or where there is a risk of abuse and neglect. This introduction sets a foundation for understanding the contents of the volume: we pro- vide an overview of child welfare services in the United States and highlight current challenges that the U.S. child welfare systems face. Keywords: child abuse and neglect; child maltreat- ment; child protective services; child welfare; child welfare system C hild welfare services in the United States are guided by a three-part federal mandate to promote safety, permanency (enduring resi- dence in a stable and legally recognized family), and well-being for children experiencing or at risk of child maltreatment. Complying with this mandate requires that state and local govern- ments first respond to alleged reports of sus- pected child abuse and neglect; investigate those reports when warranted; (often) make a Lawrence M. Berger is Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in the Social Sciences, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Social Work, and former director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on the ways in which economic resources, sociodemo- graphic characteristics, and public policies affect parental behaviors and child and family well-being. Correspondence: lmberger@wise.edu DOI: 10.1177/0002716220969362 ANNALS, AAPSS, 692, November 2020

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