Understanding and Promoting Child Wellbeing After Child Welfare System Involvement: Progress Made and Challenges Ahead

Although the negative repercussions of child abuse and neglect are well-established, many countries continue to struggle with mounting an effective and supportive response for children and families. The child welfare system—which takes varying forms depending on the time period and country—is the primary governmental institution tasked with responding to concerns about abuse and neglect. These systems face significant challenges in protecting and supporting children, as well as sustained criticism for their tactics and potential for inflicting harm. This commentary seeks to (1) take stock of major achievements in understanding, measuring, and tracking the nature and impacts of child welfare system involvement; (2) identify the key barriers that inhibit our understanding of CWS impacts on children’s wellbeing; and (3) suggest the elements of a research and evaluation agenda for moving the field forward.