This chapter provides a brief overview of the book highlighting the modest progress from child welfare to child well-being re?ected in these chapters, and the parallel movement in Kahn’s career and research, as his scholarship developed over the years. It then moves to explore the relationship between two overarching themes, child and family policy stressing a universal approach to children and social prot- tion stressing a more targeted approach to disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals including children and the complementarity of these strategies. Introduction To a large extent Alfred J. Kahn was at the forefront of the developments in the ?eld of child welfare services (protective services, foster care, adoption, and family preservationandsupport). Overtimehisscholarshipmovedtoafocusonthebroader policy domain of child and family policy and the outcomes for child wellbeing. His work, as is true for this volume, progressed from a focus on poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable children to a focus on all children. He was convinced that children, by de?nition, are a vulnerable population group and that targeting all children, empl- ing a universal policy as a strategy would do more for poor children than a narrowly focused policy targeted on poor children alone, As we ?rst argued more than three decades ago (Not for the Poor Alone; “Universalism and Income Testing in Family Policy”), one could target the most disadvantaged within a universal framework, and this would lead to more successful results than targeting only the poor.

Opening Chapters.- From “Child Saving” to “Child Development”?.- From Child Welfare to Children Well-Being: The Child Indicators Perspective.- Child Welfare.- An Historical Perspective on Child Welfare.- Testing Practice Wisdom in Child Welfare.- Understanding Child Maltreatment Systems: A Foundation for Child Welfare Policy.- Fact-Based Child Advocacy: The Convergence of Analysis, Practice, and Politics in New York City.- Using Early Childhood Wellbeing Indicators to Influence Local Policy and Services.- Social Policy and the Transition to Adulthood for Foster Youth in the US.- Theoretical Perspectives.- The Ecological Perspective on the Human Rights of Children.- Social Problem Construction and Its Impact on Program and Policy Responses.- The Development of International Comparative Child and Family Policies.- Using Child Indicators to Influence Policy: A Comparative Case Study.- In Children’s Voices.- Economic Support.- Assuring Child Support: A Re-assessment in Honor of Alfred Kahn.- Child Poverty and Antipoverty Policies in the United States: Lessons from Research and Cross-National Policies.- Income Support for Families and the Living Standards of Children.- An International Perspective on Child Benefit Packages.- Canadian Policies for Families with Very Young Children in International Perspective.- Child Poverty in Upper-Income Countries: Lessons from the Luxembourg Income Study.- Issues in ChildWell-Being.- Early Childhood Education and Care.- Childcare Policies in France: The Influence of Organizational Changes in the Workplace.- Regional Case Studies—Child Well Being in Europe.- Conclusion.- Child, Family, and State: The Relationship Between Family Policy and Social Protection Policy.

This chapter provides a brief overview of the book highlighting the modest progress from child welfare to child well-being re?ected in these chapters, and the parallel movement in Kahn’s career and research, as his scholarship developed over the years. It then moves to explore the relationship between two overarching themes, child and family policy stressing a universal approach to children and social prot- tion stressing a more targeted approach to disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals including children and the complementarity of these strategies. Introduction To a large extent Alfred J. Kahn was at the forefront of the developments in the ?eld of child welfare services (protective services, foster care, adoption, and family preservationandsupport). Overtimehisscholarshipmovedtoafocusonthebroader policy domain of child and family policy and the outcomes for child wellbeing. His work, as is true for this volume, progressed from a focus on poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable children to a focus on all children. He was convinced that children, by de?nition, are a vulnerable population group and that targeting all children, empl- ing a universal policy as a strategy would do more for poor children than a narrowly focused policy targeted on poor children alone, As we ?rst argued more than three decades ago (Not for the Poor Alone; “Universalism and Income Testing in Family Policy”), one could target the most disadvantaged within a universal framework, and this would lead to more successful results than targeting only the poor.