What Is Child Welfare? A Guide for Health-Care Professionals

This brief factsheet was written for health-care professionals—including pediatricians, family practice providers, hospital nurses, school nurses, and urgent care clinicians—to provide an overview of the field of child welfare and to suggest ways that health-care professionals and child welfare workers can work together to promote better outcomes for children and families involved with child welfare, including children in foster care. Links to resources are also included. 

Suggested Citation: Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2018). What is child welfare? A guide for health-care professionals. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau.

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

To order printed copies of this publication, please use our order form.