Law Commons^™

Child Welfare Law And Practice: Purpose And Use Of This Publication, Donald N. Duquette

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Child welfare law has become an increasingly complex area of practice that requires lawyers to not only understand complex federal and state law and procedure, but also detailed institutional information regarding child welfare funding streams, treatment and placement options, medicine, mental health, and child development. All of this takes place in a context of heart-wrenching abuse, neglect, and poverty and a complex and under-resourced bureaucracy which both under-responds and overresponds to presenting problems. What was once a cause has become a profession for highly trained and skilled attorneys. Child welfare law has arrived as a distinct legal specialty, as evidenced …