Children, Families, and Government: Preparing for the Twenty-first Century analyses the relationship between child development research and the design and implementation of social policy concerning children and families. This book is both timely and enduring; perennially important issues like health care, welfare reform, and drug abuse, are addressed in a context that enables the reader to relate current events to the theories and foundations on which policies are based. It highlights state of the art research and reforms to specify policy areas affecting children and families.