Abstract
This chapter outlines the interdisciplinary framework for understanding child welfare used throughout the book 'New Directions in Children’s Welfare.' This includes children’s rights, sociology, feminist, anthropology and psychosocial approaches to the study of childhood and child protection as a foundation for understanding contemporary child welfare policies and practices. Issues of social inequality, poverty, and ‘race’ and ethnicity are explored in relation to social work practice and child protection. Lastly it also makes use of some of the literatures that have been developed around children’s geographies and mobilities. The chapter introduces child-centred practice which is at the core of the book. It critically examines the way that children’s participation in decision making has been embedded into social work practice.