Melissa Jonson-Reid, the Ralph & Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work Research, and Brett Drake, Professor of Data Science for the Social Good in Practice of Washington University’s Brown School, are co-authors of a new book that examines the processes and outcomes of child welfare services in the United States, with global comparisons highlighting both challenges and opportunities in the field.
“Understanding Child Welfare,” released in January 2026 by Edward Elgar Publishing as an open access publication. It is part of Edward Elgar’s “Understanding” series, which features works authored or edited by leading scholars.
The book helps to shed light on which child welfare system reforms may be most likely to benefit at-risk and maltreated children and families. Chapters address key and sometimes controversial debates and initiatives shaping the evolution of U.S. child welfare services. The book considers child welfare from multiple perspectives including family, youth, workforce and even global practices leading to thoughts about future directions for research, policy and practice.
The full authorship team of top child welfare scholars across the country includes Richard P. Barth, Jill Duerr Berrick, Melissa Jonson-Reid, Anthony R. Garcia, Johanna K.P. Greeson, John Gyourko, and Brett Drake.
In a promotional blurb, Sarah Font, a professor at the Brown School, called the book “an illuminating read” for students and scholars in social work, psychology, public health and sociology. She noted that amid often polarizing debates about child protection systems, the book “informs and challenges readers across the ideological spectrum.”