Family matters. Yet, today in America, 57,000 children are still living in group placements. Readers will learn about limiting the role of residential treatment care to its intended purpose and how state and local leaders can work together to enhance family-oriented services and supports. The end goal? Brighter futures — and loving families — for some of our country’s most vulnerable children.

We also must increase and strengthen the number of adoptive families. While we recognize the critical importance of both reducing the need for child protective services and finding permanent homes for children, this report focuses on the children in the middle — those who have come at least temporarily into the public child welfare system’s care.