​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.