Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children: a bridge too far? Available to Purchase

This article describes the contrast between the clearly expressed and optimistic intentions of section 17 of the Children Act 1989, namely to produce a genuine service continuum that will promote and safeguard the welfare of children, and the reality of the post‐1989 implementation process. It shows how, over decades, perennial challenges have consistently skewed the balance between proactive family support services and reactive crisis‐driven responses in favour of the latter. Drawing on government‐commissioned evaluations, including two on out‐of‐home care and family centres respectively, the authors conclude that the Act has failed to change this balance for the better. Primary factors in this include inadequate funding and the risk‐averse responses of policy‐makers and politicians.