This study explores the development of “state of the child” reports between 2000 and 2010 in an effort to not only quantify the development but also to understand the shifts and changes in the field.

The papers collected in this issue provide a contemporary perspective on comparative child and family policy, highlighting new developments and current challenges for research and policy.

The paper explores how the UNCRC reporting process, and guidelines from the Committee outlining how States should promote the rights of young people making the transition from care to adulthood, can be used as an instrument to track global patterns of change in policy and practice. 

In this position paper, the Muslim Women’s Shura Council considers whether adoption can be possible within an Islamic framework.

The paper examines elements that must be in place to ensure that foster care is effective, including legislative frameworks and a trained child welfare workforce. It consider principles for good practice in foster care, with a particular focus on examining how such principles can be applied in resource constrained settings.

This paper, 'Children in Informal Care', was produced in response to a knowledge gap on informal care and to help determine the relevance and applicability of the 2009 Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children to informal alternative care. The authors asked the questions “what constitutes ‘informal care’?”, “what forms of informal care are there?”, “who needs informal care?”, and “can they be clearly defined?”

This report presents a unique Literature Review of international research studies about street children published during the decade from 2000 to 2010.

Report underscoring the need to examine protection in its entirety and ensure that all dimensions of the protection response are adequately supported

This paper summarizes the evidence base on residential care to promote better decision making among policy makers and child welfare practitioners

This chapter presents conclusions, trends, conceptual analyses, hypotheses, and speculations regarding some fundamental issues of research, practice, and policy that are largely unsettled or controversial, regarding children without permanent parental care.