This book attempts to describe, in one brief volume, our state s system of identifying, managing, treating, rehabilitating, and protecting children. That system is complex, and to cover it requires exploring federal and state law and regulations;explaining the work of numerous federal and state agencies; investigating the roles of courts, attorneys, judges, volunteers, and providers; understanding the intricacies of family relationships and child development; considering the effects of mental illness, trauma, drugs, incarceration; and searching out the best methods to treat troubled children and dysfunctional families."