Robert D Plotnick

Within a historical and contemporary context, this book examines major policy practice and research issues as they jointly shape child welfare practice and its future. In addition to describing the major problems facing the field, the book highlights service innovations that have been developed in r...

Child support has become a pressing policy concern in California. The shortcomings of the state's child support system have prompted both a new state department and numerous proposals for reform. This study poses a key question: why does the child support system break down for so many low-income fam...

In 1972, President Richard Nixon issued the first National Urban Policy Report. Intended to serve as a forum for policy recommendations and to evaluate current approaches to urban problems, the Report addressed issues of both urban growth and urban decline. Over time, however, the Report has evolved...

The way Americans live and work has changed significantly since the creation of the Social Security Administration in 1935, but US social welfare policy has failed to keep up with these changes. The model of the male breadwinner-led nuclear family has given way to diverse and often complex family st...

This newly revised and updated edition of a widely adopted text continues to address a broad array of issues in supporting children and strengthening families. It includes key information about federal legislation as well as policy-related outcomes research in child welfare. The first edition of The...