Lecture, three hours. Limited to juniors/seniors. Examination of public child welfare system in the U.S. Review of social policies and programs that impact children. History of social policies and programs for children, including discussion of orphanages, foster care, and adoptions. Transformation of public child welfare system into child protection system. Impact of welfare reform on child policies and programs in the U.S. Major programs designed to provide safety net for disadvantaged children, including welfare, food stamps, child care, child support, and children's allowance programs. Review of research and analysis in this area. Overview of social policies and programs that impact children in the U.S. Examination of comparative policies in other countries. P/NP or letter grading.