Raising Children Emerging Needs, Modern Risks, and Social Responses

Modern family life raises tough questions: Who should be responsible forchildren's daily care? How can their financial support be fairly allocatedbetween parents? Should extended family members be paid for their help? Canwomen have full careers and also be good mothers? In Raising Children, leadingscholars take on these questions and more in order to critically assess policyresponses to the changing needs of the modern family. As parents struggle tobalance professional and personal demands, choose schools for their children,and sort through constantly updated medical and psychological information, theyneed help from public officials who can make policies that realistically addresschildrearing's contemporary challenges. The insightful contributions in thisvolume provide an excellent starting point for understanding these thorny,multifaceted issues, skillfully framing the influences on child development,such as altered family dynamics, major life changes like immigration, and therole of schools and government in children's health. Adoption by same-sexcouples, difficulties for immigrant children, the ADHD diagnosis controversy,and public intervention for at-risk children are only a few of the topicscovered. With society in a constant state of flux, it is critically importantthat we assess our family and child policies to ensure that they providefamilies with the assistance they need. Drawing on the rich interdisciplinarywork of the Berkeley Center for Child and Youth Policy, this is an eye-openinglook at some of the biggest issues facing the family today, which are as complexas they are vital to address in a thoughtful way.