Justice for Children and Families : A Developmental Perspective

Using a child-development perspective to explore the values, ideas and structures that promote justice for children and families under the headings of fairness, protection and autonomy, this book seeks to stimulate interdisciplinary interest, debate and collaboration, from psychiatry to law to public health, in pursuit of important questions and attainable solutions.

Children come into the world completely helpless, and require well-functioning families and schools to meet their needs, protect their interests and nurture their potential. This book argues that healthy child-development depends on values, ideas and structures that promote justice for children and families; in particular, checks and balances that favour: • Fairness: allowing fair distribution of resources, so that every child and family have the best possible chance to reach their potential. • Protection: resources for families, neighbourhoods and schools to help protect and encourage their children, alongside the means to intervene, should this protection fail. • Autonomy: encouraging children's voice and participation in decision-making at a level commensurate with their maturity. Authored by leading experts in the field, the book is comprised of short, highly readable chapters with an interdisciplinary appeal, for practitioners of social science, law, social work, psychology, paediatrics, psychotherapy, psychiatry and public health alike.