This book provides a review of up-to-date theoretical and research findings in child and family social work. It is part of Springer’s Major Research Works series, with a focus on Social Work. It presents a critical analysis of emerging policy and methods of intervention for child and family wellbeing, resilience building, safeguarding and child protection, including global trends in childcare reform. Other areas of focus include, out of home care, family reintegration as well as recent debates around institutional care of children. Global policy developments and how these are transforming the way children are cared for in different parts of the world are discussed, including critical questions around social norms, interculture and cross-cultural issues, indigenist perspectives, ethics and values in social work with children and families. Chapters are drawn from experts in different parts of the world to provide a rich representation of varied perspectives on research and scholarshipin this field and demonstrate the implications for social work practice and policy developments.

Janestic Mwende Twikirize is a Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at Makerere University, Uganda. She holds a PhD in Social Work and Social Development and her research and teaching span child protection, gender-based violence, social work education, and the decolonisation of social work knowledge and practice in Africa. She has authored more than fifty peer-reviewed publications, including seven co-edited books and monographs, among them Ubuntu philosophy and decolonising social work fields of practice in Africa (2024) and Community Social Labs and Social Work – bridging gaps between universities and communities to solve social problems (2026). Her scholarship consistently foregrounds African and Ubuntu-informed perspectives within global debates on social work theory, ethics, and practice. In 2024 she received Makerere University's inaugural Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Award, and she has secured numerous research and academic partnership grants. Twikirize plays an active leadership role in the international social work community, serving as Secretary of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) since 2024. She also serves on the boards of several non-profit and faith-based organisations.

Kwabena Frimpong-Manso is an experienced academic in the field of child welfare, serving as a senior lecturer at the University of Suffolk’s School of Health, Sciences and Society. He holds a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast and is internationally recognised for his research on child welfare, care transitions, and the deinstitutionalisation of children in Ghana. Dr. Frimpong-Manso has a proven track record of leading initiatives that bridge academic research with practical solutions, such as the development of culturally adaptive child maintenance tools and evaluations of Ghana’s care reform roadmap. He actively collaborates with global partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to advance cross-national studies on care leavers’ adult outcomes. His dedication to social justice, research-informed teaching, and fostering collaborative networks underscores his leadership in shaping innovative approaches to child protection and family-based care systems. His extensive portfolio includes impactful projects funded by UNICEF and significant contributions to global policy through roles such as an executive member of the International Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood from Care (INTRAC) and as a senior research associate at the University of Johannesburg.