Rethinking child welfare services: The children's authority

This article advocates transforming the current child protection system into a system grounded in the rights of children to enjoy the same legal protection afforded other members of society. To remedy the inadequacies in the present system, we are proposing the creation of a Children's Authority organized around the principle of public safety. In effect, the Children's Authority would be a local entity, similar to a school board, that would have the responsibility for providing and overseeing the six main functions of child welfare services: investigation, enforcement, placement, prevention and education, family support, and research and development.