Values and their application are a continuing area of concern for those involved in work with children and families. This book provides a means of understanding models of social welfare and children's services, and relating these to the challenges of practice. Key debates about values in children's services are identified and examined, in their legislative, policy and practice contexts. The text develops a range of approaches to practice, utilizing case examples to illustrate the challenges, and to help practitioners with the task of reconciling competing expectations in their work with children.

New to this Edition:

- Increased coverage of authoritarian states and hybrid regimes

- A wider range of international case studies than ever before, particularly including expanded coverage of Latin America and Africa

- A resource-packed companion website featuring student and lecturer materials such as interactive quizzes, video tutorials, essay papers, testbanks and an exclusive web-only chapter on Political Economy