First Published in 1998. The past decade has seen an unparalleled interest in (and accompanying debate around) the role, rights and responsibilities of families. In the UK (as in many other countries), the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has stimulated new interest in children's rights and family policy. It also provides a framework for early identification and intervention, in particular identifying key themes which need to run through any policy developments. These four themes are: participation, provision, protection and community. This book explores these themes.