Chapter 1: Introduction to Child Welfare Practice -- Chapter 2: How the Child Welfare System Works -- Chapter 3: Child Development and Well-being -- Chapter 4: Identifying Child Maltreatment -- Chapter 5: Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice -- Chapter 6: Child and Family Engagement in Child Welfare Practice -- Chapter 7: Child Maltreatment Prevention and Family Preservation -- Chapter 8: Assessment in Child Welfare Practice -- Chapter 9: Foster Care Placement -- Chapter 10: Permanency in Child Welfare Practice -- Chapter 11: Special Populations in Child Welfare Practice -- Chapter 12: Supervision and Professional Development in Child Welfare.

This unique, multidisciplinary resource incorporates cutting-edge research and best practices in child welfare into a text that aims to teach and refine advanced child welfare skills for aspiring child welfare professionals. Featuring real-life examples and stories from the field, the handbook discusses existing methods and challenges in the field of child welfare practice. Chapters also include materials for instructors to use in classrooms or training settings. Among the topics covered: Overview of child welfare policies and how the child welfare system works Assessment tools and strategies used to identify various types of child abuse and neglect Individual, family, and community-level approaches to preventing child maltreatment and preserving families Promoting stability after foster care placement Effective collaboration while working with special populations Clinical supervision in child welfare practice Strategies for healthy professional development of child welfare practitioners The Handbook on Child Welfare Practice is a valuable resource as both a textbook in child welfare practice courses and a practical reference for child welfare professionals. This book will help develop a more knowledgeable and skilled child welfare workforce prepared to address the significant public health concern of child maltreatment.