Closing Reflections: Future Research Directions and a New Paradigm

This chapter presents some concluding thoughts and proposes future directions for a child welfare paradigm. It argues that the child protection paradigm is inadequate for contending with the problems facing today's children and families. The sole focus on protection is too limiting in its vision and has frequently led to the wrong direction. What will be required in the years ahead is a new vision of child welfare that takes into account the major changes in family structure, employment, and social services -a view that both responds to maltreatment that has already occurred and that works to ensure opportunities for poor and disadvantaged children and their families.