Includes bibliographical references (pages 228-241) and index.

Endangered Children traces the history of dependent, neglected, and abused children from the colonial era to the present. LeRoy Ashby poses the question "Who speaks for the children?" He finds that the adults who spoke for children throughout American history did so with specific agendas in mind. The welfare of endangered children has become a salient issue during periods of social crisis. Economic anxiety, concerns about the family, and racial and religious tensions have been played out in the debate about dependent, neglected, and abused children. Ashby explores the issues of adoption, foster care, orphanages, family privacy versus state intervention, discrimination, and federal benefits to the poor through careful social and historical analysis and the presentation of compelling case studies.

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