The Children Act Now : Messages from Research

The Children Act 1989 has generaly been regarded as a major piece of reforming legislation for children, and because of these reforms it has been essential to find out how the Act is being implemented in practice and whether it is making the difference that legislators intended.

This report details the findings of a substantial programme of research commissioned by the Department of Health over the last decade, to investigate how the Act is working in England and Wales.

The findings of 24 studies are brought together in this volume, with an overview for each study, drawing out the messages for policy and practice.

Recommendations for future practice are also included.