Olivia Golden considers how innovative and effective help for poor children can emerge from the world of big bureaucratic systems. She asks why the nation's public welfare agencies, despite the large number of children in the families they serve, have paid so little attention to children's needs; and she analyzes what it would take for these agencies to respond much more richly to children and their families. Drawing on the approaches of seven successful programs from across the country, she offers answers and recommendations suggesting that under the right circumstances, welfare agencies can become catalysts for change on behalf of children, both by expanding their own services and by reaching out to other agencies in the community.

The extensive recommendations for making the welfare system a source of support and early attention to children and families offer practical insights for advocates, policy makers, and public officials at the national, state, and community levels. The recommendations also provide a source of ideas for advocates, researchers, and policy makers who want to point other large public bureaucracies towards services that are integrated, comprehensive, and responsive to families and to encourage collaboration in a form that will truly make a difference in the daily lives and experiences of poor families. This book shows how to make a start on this necessary, although challenging, effort.