In the late 1960s the child care service had undergone considerable change, and was to change again after the Seebohm Committee had reported. Yet its central tasks had become clear: preventive work; the reception of children into care, work with them and their parents during the period of care; the selection of foster parents; work with foster parents, and with residential staff; and adoption.

Originally published in 1968, the present work devotes a chapter to each of these important tasks, and examines the role of the child care staff within the local authority department at the time, though many of the arguments of the book will also be applicable to the work of the voluntary child care organisations of the day.